Alma Quick

Dear Phoebe, I read your Observer piece this morning on the reported “exodus” from Girlguiding - and I was genuinely shocked. Not because you presented a different perspective to my recent Telegraph reporting on the problems within Girlguiding. That’s part of journalism. But because you chose to include the case of a six-year-old little boy who reportedly tried to cut off his own penis - after being told he couldn't be part of Rainbows (the section of Girlguiding for 5–7 year olds). Presenting it as evidence of a problem with Girlguiding’s admissions policy. It is not. It is a deeply distressing account involving a very young child - and, on any view, a serious welfare concern. Framing it otherwise is a profound failure of editorial judgement. You also refer to this male child throughout using female pronouns, including the phrase “her penis”. I appreciate this may reflect current editorial conventions. But it sits uneasily with the basic duty of a journalist to report clearly and accurately on material facts. I was already aware of this case through my own reporting for the Sunday Telegraph. I made a conscious decision not to include it at this stage - both because a minor is involved and because of the ethical considerations that arise when reporting on such sensitive situations. Those considerations are not optional. You will know, as I do, that journalism is not simply about presenting competing narratives. It is about establishing facts clearly, handling vulnerable subjects with care and exercising judgement about what should - and should not - be used to advance an argument. I trained as a journalist in the early 2000s - a good 20 years earlier than you did - but to my knowledge nothing has changed. Good journalism should bring clarity. It should not muddy the facts - in order to promote an ideological position. In this context, that means being clear about sex - a material fact that is both legally and practically relevant. I appreciate you may be under pressure from colleagues or editors to frame stories in a particular way - or to use she/her pronouns, or the phrase “her penis”. But that doesn’t make it right. Earlier this week, the Manchester Evening News reported a violent murder as being committed by a woman - one of many examples of inaccurate reporting around sex and gender. In this case, even the Crown Prosecution Service - the public body responsible for prosecuting criminal cases in England and Wales - also reported the crime inaccurately. So that’s two professions we should be able to trust to tell the truth - providing inaccurate information. Crime statistics matter. Without accurate data on who is committing serious violence, we cannot properly understand it - let alone prevent it. I considered raising this privately, or writing to your editor. But this issue is too important to be brushed aside with a “thank you for your feedback”. I’m happy to discuss it with you privately, or to support a conversation with your editor if that would be helpful. But I hope this gives you - and your colleagues - serious pause for thought. Because it is very much needed. Janet