Jake Groves

The BBC has announced a two-part documentary about J.K. Rowling. And already, its choice of language raises questions. The BBC’s press release says the series will explore Rowling’s “dramatic rise, cultural influence and contested legacy”, describing how the Harry Potter author became “one of Britain’s most polarising public figures”. According to the programme makers, her “unflinching personal beliefs have sparked a fraught and divisive dialogue that continues to this day”. But whose framing is this? Rowling has become one of the UK’s most prominent defenders of women’s sex-based rights, using her considerable influence and wealth to challenge policies she believes undermine those rights. Yet the BBC’s announcement appears to frame her beliefs as the source of division, rather than asking why defending those rights has become so contentious. Women’s rights do get a brief mention - but only in the context of how her supporters see her, contrasted with critics who describe her as an opponent of “trans equality”. Words matter in journalism. So do the editorial assumptions behind them. Of course, we haven’t seen the documentary yet. So we’ll reserve judgment until the show is aired. But when a broadcaster describes a woman’s defence of sex-based rights in terms of her “contested legacy” and “divisive” beliefs, it’s reasonable to ask what assumptions are already shaping the story. We’ll be watching with interest.