The right-wing media outlet Fox News spent nearly twice as much time covering President Donald Trump’s anti-transgender executive orders as did the more moderate cable news outlets CNN and MSNBC, according to a new study by the progressive watchdog organization Media Matters. However, most of Fox News’ coverage of the orders occurred on its opinion shows, and nearly all of its coverage excluded actual trans people speaking about their experiences.
During the first month of Trump’s presidency, he issued several anti-trans executive orders, including one banning federal recognition of trans people, one banning trans female athletes, one banning trans military members, and another banning gender-affirming care for trans people 19 and younger. Fox News spent four hours and eight minutes covering these orders between January 20 and February 19. Comparatively, MSNBC only spent 2 hours and 33 minutes covering the orders, and CNN only spent two hours and nine minutes.
Related
The father of a trans son explains why he voted for Donald Trump but believes in trans rights
The Ohio father said trans rights “transcend a political ideology.”
Fox News had 85 coverage segments on Trump’s orders, whereas CNN had 39 and MSNBC had 32. Fox News also referenced the orders in 83 teasers and mentions — that is, in promotional “teaser” videos encouraging viewers to watch upcoming broadcasts and passing mentions of Trump’s orders during coverage of unrelated topics. Comparatively, CNN and MSNBC aired 53 and 51 teasers and mentions, respectively, that referenced the orders.
Be informed, be inspired
Sign up for our newsletter for your dose of LGBTQ+ news, covering all facets of our community.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
“Fox News personalities and guests also mentioned the issue more frequently in segments that were about a different topic, suggesting that Fox viewers were reminded of the orders more often than those of other networks,” Media Matters wrote.
All three networks covered the anti-trans orders for similar amounts of times in their news programs: from one hour and 37 minutes on Fox News to one hour and 51 minutes on MSNBC (with CNN falling in between them at one hour and 42 minutes).
However, Fox News spent much more time discussing the orders in its opinion shows: Fox News’ opinion shows spent two hours and 30 minutes on the orders, but CNN’s opinion shows spent just 27 minutes and MSNBC’s spent just 42 minutes.
Fox News dedicated a majority of its coverage to Trump’s banning of trans female athletes (or as Trump’s order called it, “keeping men out of women’s sports”), a trans-related topic that hits upon “one of our most emotional touch points as Americans,” according to nonbinary sports journalist Katie Barnes. Overall, all three networks’ coverage of the topic accounted for 51% of all cable news segments about Trump’s anti-trans orders.
Fox also spent 31 minutes covering Trump’s ban on gender-affirming care for people under the age of 19 (or as Trump’s order calls it, “protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation”). Trump’s mention of “mutilation” distorts and demonizes the social and hormonal transitional care given to young trans people. Almost all major American medical associations have declared such care as safe, effective, and essential to young trans people’s overall well-being.
Comparatively, CNN and MSNBC only spent one and seven minutes, respectively, discussing Trump’s ban on gender-affirming care. The lack of coverage reveals their reluctance to cover the issue at length.
Most of the coverage on Trump’s anti=trans orders didn’t feature a trans or gender-nonconforming guest. Only 14% of the 12 guest segments on all three networks included such a guest. CNN aired seven such guest segments, MSNBC ran four, and Fox News featured one with transphobic, conservative trans millionaire Caitlyn Jenner.
A majority of segments with a trans or gender-nonconforming guest covered Trump’s ban on trans military members. Similar guests appeared on CNN and MSNBC during three segments covering Trump’s trans female athlete ban and three segments covering Trump’s ban on federal recognition of trans people. No news network had any trans or gender-nonconforming guests during its coverage of Trump’s ban on gender-affirming care.
Put another way, trans voices remain largely absent in cable news coverage on the political issues most affecting their lives, civic participation, and well-being.
Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.