The title of this recording is "Laurel Hubbard media coverage". It is described as: RNZs MediaWatch looks at the media coverage relating to Olympian Laurel Hubbard. It was recorded in Aotearoa New Zealand, Oceania on the 8th August 2021. This is a recording of an event and features the voices of Colin Peacock and Laurel Hubbard. Their names are spelt correctly, but may appear incorrectly spelt later in the document. A list of correctly spelt content keywords and tags can be found at the end of this document. A brief description of the recording is: RNZ's MediaWatch looks at the media coverage relating to Olympian Laurel Hubbard - the first openly transgender athlete to complete at the Olympics. The content in the recording covers the 2020s decade. A brief summary of the recording is: This summary examines the RNZ podcast's exploration of media coverage surrounding Olympian Laurel Hubbard's participation in the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. The event was notable as Hubbard was the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics, making the occasion a significant moment in Olympic and social history. The podcast, featuring Colin Peacock and Laurel Hubbard, delves into New Zealand's performance at the Games, noting the achievements of various athletes including Lisa Carrington, who became New Zealand's most decorated Olympian. However, the focus swiftly shifts to the media frenzy around Hubbard's participation in the women's super heavyweight weightlifting event. Despite not winning a medal, Hubbard garnered substantial global attention and sparked a conversation about the inclusion of transgender athletes in sport. The coverage documented in the podcast highlights the palpable tension between inclusivity and fairness within the field of competitive sport. Reporters were seen grappling with how to address this tension in their conversations with competitors, often avoiding direct questions about their feelings toward Hubbard's eligibility. The media's contrasting approach in discussing Hubbard's presence in the Games – both supportive and critical – underscores the complexity of the issue. Attention was also drawn to the sensitivity with which some media outlets treated the subject. Live blogs cautioned readers against posting unacceptable comments, and efforts were made to include authentic transgender voices in the discourse. The podcast mentions an expert on transgender rights, Professor Jamie Taylor, further emphasizing the multidimensional aspects of Hubbard's Olympic journey. The commentary within the podcast also provides insight into the general public's perception, expressing that even those who opposed Hubbard's eligibility paradoxically wanted the athlete to succeed. Hubbard's own media engagement was minimal, indicating an intention to avoid controversy and maintain personal privacy. In post-competition interviews, Hubbard conveyed humility and self-awareness, reflecting on the experience with candidness and a degree of self-deprecation typical of someone not chasing the limelight. Experts weighed in on the episode, explaining the medical implications of transitioning and how it affects an athlete's capabilities. Skepticism, however, remained among some commentators and journalists who debated whether medical procedures could fully negate Hubbard's former physical advantages as a male athlete. The conversation about Hubbard's participation is framed as an ongoing dialogue about the role of transgender athletes in professional sports, similar to the historical inclusion of women. Lastly, the podcast captures Hubbard's thoughts post-competition, where the athlete highlighted the shifting societal landscape and encouraged perseverance through life's challenges. Despite not seeking to become an icon or spokesperson for transgender rights, Hubbard's trailblazing participation in the Olympics stands as a pivotal moment, prompting ongoing discussions about fairness, science, gender politics, and sport. The full transcription of the recording begins:  This is an RNZ podcast. Can they do it? So Lisa is also in the final of the K two. As we just mentioned with Caitlin Regal. That's in under an hour. Stay with us. You won't want to miss any of that. More reaction to this gold medal. Next. That was TV N Z's Olympic anchor Tony Street last Tuesday, just after kayaker Lisa Carrington had won her third Olympic gold medal, and that made her New Zealand's most gilded female Olympian ever. And the reason TV NZ busted out Beyonce telling us, It's girls around the world to take us into the ad break. Don't be scared of. Later that night, Tom Walsh's shot put competition with the other big guys was ushered in with the soundtrack from Madagascar, too. And I like them joking, joking, joking, joking. Now, by that point, Lisa Carrington had won another gold in the K two. Then we got a bronze in the boxing and a silver in the K 49 sailing, during which Steven Beaver Donald on the new sports network SENZ had to remind himself and the listeners that were actually on the radio and not on TV is great again. We can't say great view because our listeners are are watching this. And after all that, a new hub site breathlessly reported that New Zealand was third on the medals table. That's the 14 medals per capita, behind only Bermuda and San Marino. Now it's only countries obsessed with punching above their weight that ever look for those rankings, though weirdly, they don't say as much about the medals per competitor table with twice as many competitors as Ireland, which has roughly the same population. We languish in the mid thirties in that ranking, punching about our weight with the likes of Denmark and Croatia. Another gold on this marvellous day of canoeing. Olympic champion New Zealand. As we now know, Lisa Carrington went on to become the goat in the boat and winning more gold medals on the water to become our most decorated Olympian. Full stop. Never mind the gender, though gender was the agenda for most of the media who turned up to the women's super heavyweight weightlifting on Monday evening, needs to stay in the competition. It's gone out the back door. What a shame. What a shame. Well, that will be the end of the hobbits competition, and she bows out thanks the crowd for their support. That was indeed, the end of Laurel Hubbard's games, but not the end of the media noise around her. While she didn't even come close to a medal, she made more global headlines than any other Kiwi Olympian. Even though these Olympics are fan free, Laurel Hubbard still drew a crowd on Monday, among them Z's Maya Burry, who explained it was almost all media. And when she stepped onto the platform to perform her first lift, the sound of the cameras clicking really was unlike anything I've ever heard before. And I think it does give you a bit of an indication of the significance of this moment in Olympic history. And among the camera carrying crowd was the BBC's chief sports correspondent, Dan Rowan. It was an appearance that made Olympic history. Laurel Hubbard may not have won a medal here today, but this was still a major milestone for trans athletes, and regardless of her performance, she will remain at the very centre of one of the most divisive issues in sport, one that is forcing it to confront the tension between inclusivity and fairness. Well, that question of fairness was on the minds of all of the reporters, too, though reporters were reluctant to ask the question on their minds straight out when confronting the actual competitors. I was wondering, You know what you felt about that and what you felt that that it took place in in your sport. However, the bronze medallist on the night Sarah Robles from the US made it pretty clear they would get no comment from her. No thank you. And on its live blog stuff warned its readers here that it would not publish any comments other than acceptable comments regarding her performance lifting weights that night now. While this issue was divisive, TVN Z's reporter Fna Owen pointed out this irony before the event. Both those vehemently for and against Olympic trans athletes really want her to win, and after it press journalist Philip Matthews made a similar point. Ironically, the people most disappointed she didn't win, though those who opposed her being there and it was the very definition of a lose lose situation for Laurel Hubbard herself. And that's something an expert and author on transgender rights and policy professor Jamie Taylor at the University of Toledo, told Newshub reporter Michael O'Keefe back in June. I don't usually go in the media because I don't want to get attacked. Perhaps that's the reason why Hubbard hasn't done media since she was named in the Olympic team earlier this week. If you could say something to Laurel, what would it be? I. I understand why you're you're quiet because that that's the way that I've been throughout most of my professional life as well, Much like you, I show up and do my job, so I get it, because the the scrutiny that you face is is pretty pretty high. Well, it certainly was this week, and News Hub's Michael O'Keefe. There was one of few reporting on Laurel Hubbard's situation who actually included an authentic trans voice. Now, some in the media, though, form their opinions just off the top of their heads. I've missed that one, so so what? Who is she? She's a She's a transgender, uh, weight lifting in the women's category. She's born a man. Yes, yeah, and she's very good. Oh, she shouldn't be be there. If you bought a man, you can't compete in the women's. I can see how that is a complicated debate that I don't think in 36 or less We were labelled to do justice. But how can you be born a man and then compete in the women's section News Hub's Duncan Garner there with an on the spot opinion back in March 2019 on the AM show? Though he hadn't changed his on air opinion after Hubbard's failure on Monday night, I've got an issue with her being in the women's action. She was born a man, correct? Yes, OK, so she has muscle memory and traits of man and her strength. I don't think it's fair, and I don't think it's right. But this time in the AM studio, there was a veteran sports journalist, Brendan Telfer, able to drop an effect or two. I heard what you said just a few moments ago. Well, I, I I'm just For the record, I'm no doctor or a scientist, but I have interviewed enough of experts in these fields and time and time again, they tell me, which makes sense is that when you transition from a male to a female, you undergo certain medical procedures which I can't talk with any great expertise on, but what they effectively do is they reduce the testosterone level of this transgender person. So Lauren Harvard, although she was a male weightlifter in her junior years, is a is a male has lost all of that strength. Can you? Can't you see that I can't see that? Well, she has. But that's not to say there aren't legitimate questions to explore and grey areas for sports student to explain, though some who tried to do that were criticised for it. New Zealand Herald sports editor at large Dylan Cleaver said this in an opinion piece last Monday before Laurel Hubbard's competition. The legitimacy of her presence at Tokyo is complex, and those who dismiss it as she's only playing by the rules laid down by the International Olympic Committee could be accused of answering the wrong question. Even the IOC's medical and science director has said the current guidelines were no longer fit for purpose and that the science has moved on and that is true. And it's the reason why. Dylan Cleaver said many New Zealanders, including himself, admired Laurel Hubbard, yet remained uncomfortable or unsure about her competing well after Laurel Hubbard tried and failed to lift those weights. On Monday, Daily Mail sports writer Raith al Samari summed up her situation like this. One has to admire Hubbard and sympathise, too, because she stood at the middle of a frenzied intersection between sport, science and gender politics. And it's all the more remarkable in that case that the least frenzied and most economical voice of all in the media was that of Laurel Hubbard herself in the obligatory post competition interview, she was honest about being overwhelmed by the Olympic occasion on Monday and when Sky sports Ricky Snell asked her about the second lift, which was flagged as a foul by two judges. But not all three. Laurel Hubbard had no complaints. Weight lifting does have rules, of course, like any sport. And, uh, if I've broken or contravene those rules, then it must have been a no lift. And then, inevitably, came questions about her eligibility. How are you able to to block out the periphery, the interest and just just be you get out there and perform and perform well for New Zealand? Oh, that's a good question. Um, I'm not sure it's possible for any person to really block out everything that's happening in the world. Um, but, uh, you just do what you can and get on with it. And in a subsequent press conference with reporters, where Laurel Hubbard was clearly uncomfortable, she showed a combination of self awareness and self deprecation that's not always evident in our sports people, or, indeed just about anyone who finds themselves in public life. I think I told that I'm looking forward to my career as a pub quiz question the suit that might sound slightly facetious, but there is a kernel of truth in that, um, I've never been involved in sport because I'm interested in publicity or profile. Uh, and so, uh, if it means that I now begin to descend into graceful obscurity, then, um, I'm OK with that Now. This wasn't Laurel Hubbard's first big competition on the big stage. This may be her last, but there's little chance of this Trailblazer fading into obscurity no matter how much or how little she engages with the media from now on. And even though she never sought to be a spokesperson, this response, when asked rather awkwardly for her message to supporters and all New Zealanders is also one we'll probably be hearing again. I think the world is changing and there are opportunities for people to be out in the world and and do things just as any other person would do. And so if there's one thing I'd like to pass on, it's this life is difficult. There are disappointments. I know. I certainly have some today as so do we all. But, uh, if you just keep pressing on, it does get better. And on the subject of pressing on a more successful Olympian than Laurel Hubbard, rower Eric Murray made this point on the AM show last Tuesday. We should sort of be celebrating the fact that she is a Trailblazer, because this isn't going away. If we look at it and we're only probably what, 40 years ago, where we were sitting here in sport going, Oh, are they going to let women compete in our events? This is a male sport, you know? So we've got we're in that conversation at the moment where trans athletes aren't going away. So we've just got to figure out how they fit into the equation, which is sport well, that conversation he spoke of. There has often been a shouting match when it's about Laurel Hubbard with lots of ignorance and overreaction turning up the volume Laurel Hubbard was a catalyst for it, but also maybe a calming influence. The full transcription of the recording ends. A list of keywords/tags describing the recording follow. These tags contain the correct spellings of names and places which may have been incorrectly spelt earlier in the document. The tags are seperated by a semi-colon: 2020s ; 2021 Summer Olympic Games (Tokyo) ; Aotearoa New Zealand ; Colin Peacock ; Croatia ; Denmark ; Events ; Ireland ; Japan ; Job ; Laurel Hubbard ; New Zealand Herald ; People ; TVNZ (Television New Zealand) ; Tokyo ; agenda ; author ; boat ; broken ; busted ; career ; cats ; competition ; conference ; conversation ; face ; failure ; fear ; gender ; gender politics ; history ; march ; media ; news ; other ; performance ; podcast ; policy ; politics ; profile ; quiz ; radio ; self awareness ; shame ; sport ; straight ; strength ; support ; tension ; time ; top ; trans ; transgender ; transition ; truth ; university ; veteran ; voice ; water ; weight lifting ; women. The original recording can be heard at this website https://www.pridenz.com/rnz_media_watch_laurel_hubbard.html. Please note that this document may contain errors or omissions - you should always refer back to the original recording to confirm content.