Benjamin Ryan is a bad repoter, a bad writer and seems like a bad person and I encourage no one to cooperate with him on this, or any, story. Yesterday, there were horrific anti-trans stories in Wyoming, Nebraska and Missouri. Fuck the NYT & Ben Ryan for seeking “misgivings.”
I don’t like to bring up my day job bc it causes headaches but I’ll do so here bc it’s so important: as the holder of the 1st journalism professorship to focus on LGBTQ issues, much of Ben’s work—and this piece specifically—is dangerous to the wellness of LGBTQ people.
I have a big piece in edits now in Scientific American about this matter, which shows how bad this type of “journalism” is. The Times & Ryan have no business shaking the trees to elevate some doctor, somewhere who is opposed to scientific consensus abt the benefit of transcare.
It’s like the NYT looking for a physicist who doesn’t believe in gravity or a oceanographer who doesn’t believe in climate change. Such cranks or bigots ain’t news, and the Times should be ashamed of elevating lone voices out of step w medical and scientific consensus.
It is always mediocre, know nothing white dudes (Singal, Chait, Ryan) who NY mag and the NYT are like “Yes, YES, that’s the person! That’s the voice we NEED! No MD? No MPH? No PhD? Hated by and not a part of the community he’s writing about? But he’s white? Commission HIM!!!”
Same guy. And he even stole that from someone else, I believe. (He was noticed by several of us before that for his bad, dishonestly framed reporting prior to that…if I remember right he seemed to steal that joke to try to get attention, which is all he wants.)
A very Times-speak form or grotesque “reasoning.” I would say ignore this troll. But he’s too dangerous. He’s in the stable of big commissions and when the Times or NY mag or Guardian or whoever commission him, they put a LIBERAL stamp of approval on transphobia…
…much as the fucking Biden administration put a big liberal stamp of approval on transphobia amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/04/06…
Benjamin Ryan is a bad repoter of HIV/AIDS, Covid, queer history, and transcare. He is not the “enfant terrible” “only person who will speak to power” crusading journalist he wants anyone to think he is.
He’s just a bad reporter, but one who gets commissioned bc of editors who are homophobic, transphobic and ableist.
I’m so sorry to hear this, @lareinamalvada. It is amazing men this sexist work in profiles and settings most of us never could—and it tracks to his history (cc @sarahschulman3)
Also, for all its evil, like most things, there is something to be learned in Ryan's email. It's a good insight into what I forbid my students to do - trying to "reverse engineer" a story.
Don't go looking to find sources that will support the story you've already decided to tell. Or fish purposefully for a contrarian "character." LISTEN. STUDY. And as you see patterns, let the story find you. Don't just say "Can I find one physicist who will say gravity's bunk?"
I’ve been alerted Ben Ryan says I know nothing about him.
1. He interviewed me for a story! BADLY! And wrote a bad story w all kinds of dishonest moves along the way!
2. I read! He’s a bad writer!
3. I know more ppl than I can count who’ve had bad expeinces w his reporting!
4. I know many people who have been hurt by his reporting and framing!
5. He trolls trans ppl online!
6. Even if I knew more about him than this email, that would be enough to see what piss poor, reverse engineer style “journalism” he practices!
7. A reporter shoudn’t be the center of a news story! Trans ppl are under attack! The TWENTIETH (!!!!!!) state just banned trans kids from school sports! Ppl CANNOT GET medical care in Florida, TN, Texas, Missouri…and this hack is whining? About HIS fate??? GTFOH!
8. The lack of reporting by the Times on Missouri BANNING TRANSCARE FOR EVERYONE is OBSCENE! That Ben Ryan is out here looking for an MD, any MD, who is *happy* abt this bc they are uncomfortable w providing transcare which saves lives shows that Ryan has poor news judgment!
I am sorry this happened to you Prof. Galloway but I am not, unfortunately, surprised. These dudes just roll through anyone and everyone.
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