SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE: A leading Sydney girls' school is being investigated for political correctness. The Daily Telegraph is reporting today, teachers at Cheltenham Girls High have been told to stop calling the students girls, ladies or women, instead they have to use gender neutral terms, I guess like, you know 'good morning humans, female humans'. Is it, is this ridiculous, Ron? RON WILSON: Oh look, boys are boys, girls are girls and never the twain shall meet ... — Channel Seven, Sunrise, 20 July, 2016

Hello I'm Paul Barry, welcome to Media Watch.

And that front page story in the Telegraph last week by Miranda Devine had everyone reeling, because the notion that an all-girls high school would ban the word "girls" is somewhat ridiculous.

Yet that's exactly what the Tele was claiming:

SCHOOL BANS GIRLS EXCLUSIVE PC MADNESS Teachers told to talk gender neutral — Daily Telegraph, 20 July, 2016

So, what was the basis for the story?

Well, star columnist Miranda Devine, who's a passionate critic of the Safe Schools program-which she claimed was behind it all-assured us:

TEACHERS at a leading Sydney all-girls school have been asked to stop calling students "girls", "ladies" or "women", but to use "gender-neutral" language instead. — Daily Telegraph, 20 July, 2016

And the Tele was happy to crank up the outrage on this hot button issue.

Putting it on page one and running another news story inside the paper headed:

Gender agenda bridge too far — Daily Telegraph, 20 July, 2016

With a stern editorial to back it all up.

This girls school is no place for girls — Daily Telegraph, 20 July, 2016

Plus ... a near full-page column from Ms Devine to tell us how stupid and shocking it all was:

TOLERANCE CLASS COP-OUT THE PC POLICE ARE BULLYING OUR KIDS — Daily Telegraph, 20 July, 2016

But there was one minor problem with all this commotion.

Because Cheltenham Girls' High School soon made clear on its Facebook page that it wasn't actually true.

The school has not, and will not, change the way students' gender is referred to. — Facebook, 20 July, 2016

A few hours later, the NSW Education Minister, also poured a bucket on the Tele's front-page news, telling 2GB's Ben Fordham.

ADRIAN PICCOLI: I don't believe the story is true ... and let me just say it would be absurd to suggest at any school that that would be the case, that you can't use the word 'girl' or 'boy' ... and they've got it wrong. — 2GB, Sydney Live, 20 July, 2016

And to cap it all the NSW Education Department followed up with its own statement confirming:

No member of the school staff has ever been directed, or requested, to refrain from using terms such as 'girls', 'ladies', 'women' or other gender specific terminology when addressing students or staff. — NSW Dept of Education, Email to Media Watch, 22 July, 2016

So what checks had the Tele made before splashing the scoop on page one?

Had Ms Devine spoken to any parents at the school?

Answer, no.

MIRANDA DEVINE: I have not actually talked to any parents directly, but I have talked to someone who has talked to the parents, they are desperate to be heard, but they are terrified ... — 2GB, Nights with Steve Price, 19 July, 2016

So had anyone talked to the high school principal? Answer, no again. Although Devine had tried:

MIRANDA DEVINE: The principal, Susan Bridge, is very much on board with this. She was away on long service leave when some of these edicts were issued but I, I tried to talk to her today and she has not responded to my calls and instead has sent my questions off to the department. — 2GB, Nights with Steve Price, 19 July, 2016

So if the Tele didn't speak to parents or the principal, how could it be sure the edict was made?

Well, Devine claimed in her report that:

The request to teachers at Cheltenham Girls High School came in a staff meeting last term to discuss implementation of the controversial Safe Schools anti-bullying program for lesbian, gay and transgender, (LGBTI) students. — Daily Telegraph, 20 July, 2016

And, in response to our questions, the Telegraph assured us it had, quote:

Detailed accounts from insiders who attended the meeting ... — Daily Telegraph, Email to Media Watch, 22 July, 2016

But we've also talked to insiders.

And while they agree a request was made, they claim, it was by a junior teacher.

And that it only suggested gender-neutral language be used where students requested it.

It was not endorsed by the school. And it was certainly never a ban. And according to one source:

... it was not linked to calling a girl a girl in any way. — Cheltenham Girls High School Teacher, Statement to Media Watch, 21 July, 2016

So what does the Tele have to about all these denials and the evidence that their alarming headlines were wrong?

The paper told Media Watch:

We emphatically stand by the story. — Daily Telegraph, 22 July, 2016

And Miranda Devine is doing the same. She was on Sky News last night with Chris Kenny, and on 2GB this morning with Alan Jones, claiming the school and education minister are just covering up.

Meanwhile the fall-out has been toxic, with parents and pupils angry and bruised, and the principal bombarded with abusive calls and emails like this:

The promotion of lesbian filth in Cheltenham Girls High School is a national disgrace ... you should be sacked on the spot — Email to Susan Bridge, Principal, Cheltenham Girls High School

Once again caving in to the minority of the hairy underarm lesbians and skinny little gay boys of lbgti or safe schools! — Email to Susan Bridge, Principal, Cheltenham Girls High School

...full of sicko dyke and poof indoctrinators - LEAVE OUR KIDS ALONE! — Email to Susan Bridge, Principal, Cheltenham Girls High School

Charming stuff. And all prompted by a classic Tele beat up.