Bad Ink

This book is an extremely helpful resource in understanding the history of the good and bad of journalism with a focus on trans people. I wanted for so long to read a book like this after concluding myself that the right wing attention on trans people is alarming. I’m so thankful this book came around the right time for me and gave me infinitely more insight into why that is! Sometimes, it’s a hard read for me because I didn’t grasp things so easily as a cisgender person, but I’m sure that after reading the footnotes and a few rereads I will understand a lot better.

Bad Ink is a scathing takedown of The New York Times and the relentless attack on trans teens that it has spearheaded.

Wilchins goes through article by article and debunks, comments or fact checks claims made by journalists or opinion pieces - where NYT have been slacking from their side or straight up ignoring their own rules for good press ethics to underline their own standpoint. This book covers articles that profile trans women in their day to day life, their reports on ballroom culture, their spread of misinformation in terms of gender affirming care and the dealings behind the scenes (which include replacing a trans employee with someone vocally anti-trans, and making another feel they have no choice but to leave the workplace because they will get punished for speaking out). All in the name of clicks and engagement.

Wilchins does a good job of highlighting how the change in how people consume news has led to a change in strategy for papers, and a reliance on clickbait or articles they know will gain traction. This, largely, goes at the expense of trans youth. The list of sources Wilchins uses to back up her claims are extensive and the book is well written, well researched and compassionate whilst still having some snark and humour.