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New Delhi: Queer Chennai Chronicles and The News Minute have collaborated to release a style guide for journalists that will facilitate more sensitive reporting about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and the issues they face.
The first part of the document, titled ‘LGBTQIA+ Media Reference Guide’, was released on Wednesday It provides a glossary of terms related to sex, gender and sexuality; suggestions for reporters while covering stories concerning the LGBTQIA+ communities; and guidelines for editors who are commissioning opinion pieces on these communities. A chapter is also dedicated to reporting instances of crime where the victim or the perpetrator is from the LGBTQIA+ community.
C. Moulee (he/him), the co-founder of Queer Chennai Chronicles, told The News Minute that LGBTQIA+ persons and communities are misrepresented in the media quite often. Many journalists say these mistakes were made out of ignorance and that they would like to learn more about LGBTQIA+ issues and the correct terms to use, he said.
“So we decided to put this guide together as an easy reference tool for journalists and newsrooms who have the right intentions, but need some support,” Moulee said.
“The guide has been created keeping journalists in mind. This is not an academic document — this is an easy to use reference guide for journalists on the go. We have separate chapters for different ‘beats’ and editorial roles, so that journalists who are usually pressed for time can quickly refer to the section that is relevant to them when they’re working on their stories,” said Ragamalika Karthikeyan (he/she), editor, special projects and experiments at The News Minute. The remaining chapters will be released soon, she said.
The Wire is sharing the document in full below.
LGBTQIA+ Reference Guide for Media by The Wire on Scribd