USA Today and other media outlets are facing backlash for their reporting on the shooting at a Christian school in Nashville.
On Monday, USA Today tweeted, “Police on Monday afternoon said that the shooter was a transgender man. Officials had initially misidentified the gender of the shooter.”
Police on Monday afternoon said that the shooter was a transgender man. Officials had initially misidentified the gender of the shooter.
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) March 27, 2023
Twitter users were quick to take issue with the outlet’s focus on the gender of the shooter.
Founder of Live Action Lila Rose replied, “In an act of terrorism, a woman murdered three children and three adults in cold blood today at a Christian school and our media is worrying about her ‘preferred pronouns.’ Utterly insane.”
In an act of terrorism, a woman murdered three children and three adults in cold blood today at a Christian school and our media is worrying about her “preferred pronouns.” Utterly insane. https://t.co/0FIUXwFnsV
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) March 28, 2023
Activist Chloe Cole responded, “Have to respect the school shooters pronouns.”
Have to respect the school shooters pronouns. https://t.co/2UD53LfAOw
— Chloe Cole ⭐️ (@ChoooCole) March 28, 2023
Author Ashley St. Clair wrote, “Imagine being a parent of one of the victims and seeing the Media being apologetic for misgendering your child’s murderer.”
imagine being a parent of one of the victims and seeing the Media being apologetic for misgendering your child’s murderer https://t.co/I1YlSF9GZw
— Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) March 28, 2023
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh added, “This is the most disgusting and insane tweet I think I’ve ever seen from a media organization, and that is certainly saying a lot.”
This is the most disgusting and insane tweet I think I’ve ever seen from a media organization, and that is certainly saying a lot https://t.co/hl5jV94O3W
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) March 28, 2023
Read more replies below:
Heaven forbid a killer is misgendered https://t.co/p9v62HD5Bz
— Arash Mosaleh (@ArashMosaleh) March 28, 2023
This is what matters🤡 https://t.co/gZkZO367Zl
— Red (@redjwallace) March 28, 2023
Nobody sane cares. https://t.co/hyaQlKlQIQ
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 28, 2023
News outlets scrambling to respect the pronouns of a child murderer is not a good look. https://t.co/1DuerA1gQI
— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) March 28, 2023
USA Today taking time to ensure that the child shooter's gender identity is respected. 🙄 https://t.co/dzS9WRbTgJ
— Mr Reagan 🇺🇸 (@MrReaganUSA) March 28, 2023
This is what our media is worried about. Not the 3 kids and 3 adults murdered in cold blood by a mentally ill maniac. They are worried about misgendering. Unf*ckinbelievabke.
— Mike Sperrazza (@MikeASperrazza) March 27, 2023
Shame on you @USATODAY. You’re a joke. https://t.co/AidMdYihfz
USA Today reporting on the *real* crime:
— KelFitton (@KelFitton) March 27, 2023
Officials misgendering the killer https://t.co/Rth3EIafUO
The legacy news media is more concerned about misgendering the shooter.
— Wall Street Mav (@WallStreetMav) March 27, 2023
Until people like this are removed from news media, there is no hope for them to ever be taken seriously. https://t.co/N0uyO3c7zC
USA Today was not the only outlet to comment on the shooter’s gender identity.
Similarly, The New York Times tweeted, “There was confusion later on Monday about the gender identity of the assailant in the Nashville shooting. Officials had used ‘she’ and ‘her’ to refer to the suspect, who, according to a social media post and a LinkedIn profile, appeared to identify as a man in recent months.”
There was confusion later on Monday about the gender identity of the assailant in the Nashville shooting. Officials had used “she” and “her” to refer to the suspect, who, according to a social media post and a LinkedIn profile, appeared to identify as a man in recent months.
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 28, 2023
The suspect killed three children and three adults during the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.
“At one point she was a student at that school,” Nashville police Chief John Drake said.
He added, “There was a vehicle nearby that gave us a clue as to who she was.”
