Magazine apologises for censoring my words to remove 'woman' and 'female'.
Good to Know say they have taken steps to ensure this does not happen again
Some news for you. Many of you have followed the story I shared on 7th September of how quotes I gave to the online magazine Good to Know for an article about periods, were changed to take out all reference to women and females, apparently at the request of Always, who were sponsoring the piece.
You can read the full story here:
I decided I wanted to pursue this because I feel that, regardless of your views on sex and gender, if someone’s own words can be changed to conform to an ideological agenda to which they do not subscribe, this sets a very worrying precedent for freedom of speech.
I therefore complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).
Following their involvement, the magazine have published an official apology.
You can read it here.
In an email exchange with the editor of Good to Know, Sophie Bird, I asked her what specific steps they have taken to ensure this does not happen again. She said, “We have reviewed our training processes to make sure colleagues understand the importance of leaving quotes unedited. We have also taken disciplinary measures.”
I am pleased with this outcome and grateful to IPSO for their help in this matter.
Of course, it does not address the fact that Always are encouraging UK magazines to write copy which erases women and girls from the narrative around menstruation. However, at least a small battle has been won and hopefully journalists and editors will take extra care not to change the words of a writer or expert commenter without their clear consent in future.
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