Feeling You can’t say anything anymore, may mean you can still speak just got much to learn
It was announced that Suzanne Moore, a guardian columnist for many decades has left the newspaper with little explanation for now. Liberal Progressives like Carole Callwalldr Guardian writer featured in the Netflix documentary ‘The Great Hack’ Ian Dunt Politics.co.uk editor podcaster and author Jess Phillips MP expressed sorrows and well wishes looking forward to reading what she writes where next. However, her departure proves an issue and exposes some of the faults in the British commentariat, influential in much of our society as accessing information in many different ways. From Moore’s departure I feel it exposes faults with traditional media and why younger generations becoming apathetic with traditional outlets.
In this era the acceleration digitalisation of news and journalism whilst traditional media brands much still popular but come with competition. Recognising that there’s a necessity in a democracy we need and a free media, free speech and plurality and nuance of views which many like myself in the twitter-sphere see is lacking. On the back of Moore tweeting her departure from the guardian I stated ‘Whilst I respect the freedom and liberty of Moore’s tenure at the guardian that she said what she thinks which is key in a free media. But from what I understand that from some of the articles she wrote did come from a place of transphobia. Which the trans community highlighted. Its important to have peaceful and civilised discourse. However it’s troubling to see people’s rights are being debated. Advocating for trans rights never should mean cis gender rights are at threat’ which Moore felt the trans rights movement are threatening cis gendered woman’s rights where as being an ally and advocating for rights is merely asking for rights to be respected and for trans women to be seen as equal amongst their cis gendered peers. This is my much a form of transphobia and misogyny being thrown at trans people music like what has been seen by J.K Rowling leading a public rise of transphobia and media debating trans rights’
In the series of tweets I continued to described it as ‘cis gender people talking over trans people and ignoring what trans people are saying. Me commenting on this doesn’t at all come from a place of loathing or dislike of Moore but from a place to say we can do much better. We need a free media must do better to be a free media one has free speech but isn’t discriminatory in means of transphobia’
The issue that conventional and traditional media faces in 2020 is in the digital saturated world of discourse the views of journalists unlike before are being publicly openly challenged and questioned by their readers which is important in a democracy, mustn’t from a place of cancelling but rather the opposite. Marginalised groups who are under represented in roles in the media and are still under represented under heard in the commentariat don’t feel heard which is understandable when for views,clicks and shares media outlets might deem it acceptable to conduct controversial debates which can cause harm to marginalised groups as what has been seen with trans based issues is the media putting people’s rights under the spotlight not to advocate but to question.
What I feel like is needed at great times of political polarisation where in the media we seeing many polarising debates on rights based issues been painted as a ‘culture wars where people have to struggle to be heard’.
What journalists and people who feel they are at high position of influence it’s not the fact that you can’t say anything anymore and have to be some means of the term ‘woke’ as a society to be willing to listen and learn. Otherwise a generation won’t feel heard or shut out by traditional media
