TJA urges caution in reporting on details of Charlie Kirk shooting investigation

Various outlets have reported that authorities have found ammunition engraved with expressions of “transgender and antifascist ideology” alongside a weapon purportedly associated with the killing of Charlie Kirk. The Trans Journalists Association urges caution in reporting this characterization of the ammunition without elaboration or caveats, especially as some reporting has already cast doubts on the veracity of these claims.

As of this statement, law enforcement officials have not described the actual words or engravings or released photos of the ammunition. News organizations should be as transparent as possible about how details about the engravings are being confirmed, both to increase accuracy in reporting and build trust with audiences in a breaking news environment.

It should also be noted that “transgender ideology” is a term coined for and used in anti-trans political messaging to falsely equate identity with politics, which is a way to frame transgender identity as a political choice rather than an innate identity. As it is often unclear what actions or political positions the phrase actually refers to — not unlike how “the homosexual agenda” is an amorphous term that has no real definition — reporters should be careful about using this term; it is used exclusively to attack a minority group for political gain.

When the term “transgender ideology” is used by a government source, news organizations should prioritize direct quotes and, to the greatest degree possible, identify the source and evidence. In such cases, news organizations could report the findings as “ammunition engraved with what authorities described as ‘expressions of transgender and antifascist ideology’ without providing details of the actual terms engraved.”