It was a New York Times headline that created tremors online: “As Kids, They Thought They Were Trans. They No Longer Do.” But here’s the question that was at the heart of this week’s “Crossroads” podcast: Why was this Pamela Paul essay in the opinion section, as opposed to being a hard-news report out front?

This was an important piece, no matter what, for news consumers, parents, counselors, lawyers, clergy and journalists seeking information. But it did include some “What?” moments that, in a hard-news context, would have demanded on-the-record reporting with voices debating the merits of “facts” and trends around the world.

For example, this Times quote:

The small but rapidly growing number of children who express gender dysphoria and who transition at an early age, according to clinicians, is a recent and more controversial phenomenon.

Wait, a “small but rapidly growing number”? In the U.K., officials have seen a recent 4,000% rise in girls demanding gender treatments, when for decades the overwhelming majority of those reporting gender dysphoria were males. In the U.S., there has been a 1,000% rise in dysphoria cases in the past decade.

This week’s podcast also hits trends in Sweden, Norway, France, the Netherlands and, yes, Britain that are leading to increased caution in rapid transitions for children and teens. Looming class-action lawsuits led to the closing of the powerful Tavistock Clinic in England. Would a hard-news story have covered these facts and looked ahead to U.S. trends?

One more thing: Check out the hellish details in the latest feature at The Free Press related to all of this: "I Was Told to Approve All Teen Gender Transitions. I Refused.”  

Enjoy the podcast!