"Bad People Might Use Your Journalism for Bad Things" is a Bad Argument
Though it's becoming a common one
If you want to have a terrible time, listen to this “discussion” (scare quotes justified if not absolutely required) between journalist Jesse Singal and The Majority Report’s Sam Seder and Emma Vigeland.
Some background: Jesse Singal is a journalist who is mostly known for his writing on youth gender medicine. Much of his work — most notably a high-profile 2018 Atlantic article — has pointed out that there’s a lot we don’t know about the best ways to treat minors who may have gender dysphoria, and that there’s evidence suggesting that guidelines and best practices are often ignored. This has made him a villain in some lefty circles; “Jesse Singal is a transphobe” is an article of faith among a certain strain of trans rights activists (FWIW, I’ve read Singal’s work and think the charge is unfair). Sam Seder and Emma Vigeland are hosts of The Majority Report, a left-wing radio show/podcast. Before their interaction with Singal — which was the end result of a Twitter disagreement — I didn’t know who Sam Seder and Emma Vigeland were. Having watched the exchange, I envy the version of me who didn’t know they existed; if anyone knows how to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind these clowns out of my brain, please see me in the comments section.
I’ll summarize the bit that’s relevant to this article for those who don’t want to watch the full 21-minute clip (and no-one who wants to enjoy their life and feel good about humanity should watch the full 21-minute clip). I will try to recount Seder’s argument fairly and accurately, so that I may then spend 2,000 words arguing that it’s a pile of shit.