The (r)evolution of transsexuality in the news media: The case of the Spanish digital press (2000-2020)

Abstract

Media coverage of transsexuality has increased in different parts of the world. This increase reinforces its visibility, but it can also contribute to developing, reinforcing and legitimizing different attitudes, such as transphobia. In order to analyze the discursive patterns on transsexuality in the Spanish digital press during the period 2000-2020, this article has conducted a quantitative content analysis. Combining manual coding (n = 1095) with rule-based text classification (N = 9922), the media delegitimization to which transsexual people are subjected has been analyzed using logistic regression and multilevel analysis. The results confirm that the newsworthiness of transsexuality in Spain has increased significantly over the first two decades of the 21st century. They also indicate that the media delegitimization of transsexuality has been significantly reduced. These findings suggest a remarkable evolution in the news media coverage of transsexuality. However, improvements are still needed. Therefore, the need to continue training and sensitizing journalists is underlined.