Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Yellow Journalism

yel•low jour•nal•ism
noun
journalism that is based upon sensationalism and crude exaggeration.
"equating murder and dismemberment with smoking pot is the worst yellow journalism",

In Cleveland Ohio the city council has proposed an ordinance on public accommodation for gender identity and expression and part of it says,
WHEREAS, the City of Cleveland and employers should allow full access to facilities without qualification to all citizens and employees, including those denied access to bathrooms, showers, locker rooms or dressing facilities consistent with their gender identity or expression…
But the proposed ordinance also includes discrimination in goods, services, facilities or accommodations by any owner, operator, lessee, manager, administrator, servant, agent or employee of any place of public accommodation.

What do you think the Cleveland’s Plain Dealer focused on? Bathrooms!
Cleveland's transgender-friendly legislation would open all public restrooms and showers to both sexes” notice how they phrased it “open all public restrooms and showers to both sexes” but if you read the ordinance you have to use the facility of your gender identity you cannot just walk into either gender’s restroom. The article reinforces that belief, in the first two paragraphs the article reads…
LEVELAND, Ohio -- In an effort to help transgendered people feel more comfortable using public restrooms, Cleveland City Council is considering an ordinance that would require businesses to make their restrooms, showers and locker rooms available to both sexes.

And barring one gender from using a facility designated for the other would be a crime, punishable by a $1,000 fine.
This is a prime example of yellow journalism “journalism that is based upon sensationalism and crude exaggeration” the article creates the false impression of the ordinance in a way to create fear and anger.

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