Trans News Matters: Media Coverage and Trans Minors' Social Transitions in the Basque Country.

Parallel to the increase in media attention to trans issues over the last two decades, media delegitimization of trans rights and misrepresentation of trans people have decreased. Trans-friendly news coverage is crucial, as previous research suggests that the news media can influence the identification and social transition processes of trans youths. The present study aims to investigate the potential relationship between media coverage of trans issues and the social transitions of trans minors in the Basque Country (Spain). Various time series analyses were conducted for the period from May 2015 to December 2020 between different news media coverages and registrations to the Basque NGO of families with trans minors. The results indicate that news coverage focusing on trans issues, trans minors, and NGOs of trans families with trans minors can have an almost immediate impact on registrations to these NGOs and, by extension, on the social transitions of trans youths. Both national and local news media outlets are influential in forecasting registration numbers, along with progressive ones. However, conservative outlets do not show the same forecasting value. These findings highlight that news media has played a crucial role in the social transition of trans minors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]