In 2019, The Daily Signal team found an underreported story on one of the most controversial social issues of our time—biological boys participating in girls sports.
In the 2017-18 season, a high school junior in Connecticut named Selina Soule missed qualifying for the New England track and field regionals by two spots in her top event. Those two spots were taken by biological boys.
After learning of her story—which went virtually undetected by national news—The Daily Signal dug into research, went on-site to interview the young athlete and her mom, and published one of our most successful videos to date.
After sharing Selina’s story, observers no longer debated vague transgender policies. Instead, they discussed what those policies mean for families, schools, and children. What those policies being pushed by the far-left mean to a female student-athlete who trained her whole life only to lose to biological boys, and what those policies mean for parents, who invest time and resources to see their children succeed.
Three and a half million people watched our video on YouTube, and nearly 4 million more watched on Facebook. The story led to coverage of Selina’s side from mainstream media organizations such as the NBC “Today” show (which, of course, had previously ignored it) and a federal Title IX investigation that is still ongoing.
The viral nature of Selina’s video is a perfect example of how conservatives can and do shape debate. We personalized a controversial progressive policy and showed the real-life implications. We showed how simple storytelling can influence policy conversations, news coverage, investigations, and litigation. But without The Daily Signal’s financial supporters making it possible to tell the story in the first place, Selina’s story might have never been told.
In a crowd of conservative news organizations, The Daily Signal is unmatched in its ability to produce quality video content.
Our “Underreported” mini-documentary series is a regular fan favorite, but producing these videos isn’t easy or cheap. Stories such as Selina’s require days of travel, hotel stays, lights and cameras, and expensive editing equipment. They also require a team of dedicated writers, producers, videographers, editors, and social media experts, who pour their hearts into each project.
Documentary storytelling is a risky investment. There’s a reason why so few media organizations are doing it, and even fewer on the conservative side.
Donations from The Heritage Foundation’s generous supporters are what enable us to produce documentaries.
The success of Selina’s documentary shows why investing in video on the conservative side matters. And you’re the one who makes it possible.
While Selina deserves all the credit for having the courage to come forward, without our Heritage members, The Daily Signal couldn’t have highlighted her story in video form. It’s these contributions that enable us to do this expensive, important work.
No matter your views on transgender athletes competing in girls sports, we should all agree that Selina’s story deserved to be told. But sadly, she’s not alone. All across our country, conservatives are being mocked, marginalized, and ignored.
With your generous donations, we’ll continue doing our part to ensure these voices are heard. We see the impact of bringing these stories to the forefront and hope you can, too.
If you’re interested in supporting The Daily Signal, please donate here. As always, thank you!
