New York Times reveals extravagant spending at GLAAD, but the group calls the article ‘grossly misleading’

In February 2023, more than 200 contributors to The Times signed an open letter criticizing the paper’s reporting on transgender topics. The letter accused The Times of biased reporting and called for significant reforms, urging the paper to engage more deeply with transgender voices and leadership.

While the legal experts consulted by The Times indicated that the scrutiny of Ellis’s compensation is part of standard nonprofit oversight, GLAAD sees it as part of a larger pattern of biased reporting.

“TheTimes has refused to implement the reforms suggested in the open letters, and GLAAD has continued its campaign to advocate for unbiased and accurate reporting about trans people in the Times,” Ferraro said. “This has included sending a billboard truck to park outside on the Times’ offices eight times, posting more than one dozen posts critical of the Times’ coverage across GLAAD social media accounts and website. On March 26, 2024, GLAAD and non-profit Media Matters for America published an analysis of Times coverage demonstrating that the newspaper does not include perspectives from trans people in a majority of its publications about transgender healthcare and anti-trans legislation.” He added, “Over the last 15+ months, The Times has not engaged on the campaign’s main ask: to sit down with transgender leaders.”

Stadtlander defended The Times’s broader coverage of transgender issues, writing that it has reported “fully and fairly on transgender topics ranging from challenges and prejudice faced by the community to the fight for expanding rights and freedoms to open debates about care.” He cited numerous instances of coverage of legal battles, prejudice, and rights expansion for the transgender community.

However, a May 2023 study by Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting presents a different perspective. The study compared front-page transgender-related news coverage in the Times and The Washington Post, finding significant differences. According to FAIR, The Times featured only nine front-page stories centering on transgender issues from April 2022 to March 2023, compared to 22 such stories in The Post. FAIR also noted that The Times often framed its coverage in a way that questioned the legitimacy and necessity of transgender rights and healthcare.

FAIR’s analysis pointed out that the Times’s headlines frequently focused on debates and conflicts rather than the experiences and challenges faced by transgender individuals. The group concluded that the Times’s approach to covering transgender issues has contributed to a biased narrative, which aligns with right-wing perspectives and undermines the struggles of the transgender community.

Four long-serving GLAAD employees — two vice presidents and two senior directors — wrote a letter, which The Advocate reviewed, to The Times reporter on July 31. They praised Ellis’s leadership and the positive changes at GLAAD under her tenure. They highlighted the organization’s increased resources, improved workplace culture, and significant external impact, attributing these successes to Ellis’s guidance.

“We believe the majority of the current staff understand and support her current compensation and bonus structure because we trust the Board’s oversight of her contract and know Sarah Kate to be a hard-working and dedicated leader,” the letter noted. They criticized the Times for not seeking their perspectives and suggested the story might be retaliatory due to GLAAD’s criticism of The Times’ transgender coverage. “It is deeply concerning that The New York Times would prioritize spreading misinformation about Sarah Kate and GLAAD from a small number of disgruntled former colleagues who were at the organization for brief periods of time. We are long-serving GLAAD staff and leaders of GLAAD’s programmatic work, and yet none of us have been approached for comment for this story, which is why we are writing this letter,” the authors wrote. “As seasoned media advocates, we know that a story that only platforms their biased perspectives will not result in a fair and balanced story.”

In her statement, Ellis warned, “Politicians, extremists, and even mainstream media outlets are undermining our efforts for equality and pushing dangerous narratives about our community.” She added, “We won’t stop fighting for acceptance and working as hard as we can, every day, to stand up for our community.”

Stadtlander rejected any notion of ulterior motives.

“The story only ‘fits’ into The Times’s pursuit of rigorous independent journalism. To insinuate otherwise is outrageous and betrays a lack of understanding of how journalism works,” he said.

Original Article on The Advocate
Author: Christopher Wiggins