Nex Benedict, Bad Journalism, and a Call to Save Lives

‘After Suicide Ruling in Nex Benedict Case, LGBTQ+ Groups Demand More Answers’ (them)

We should all be demanding more answers.

The way this story has unfolded, from the beginning, has bothered me. I’m struggling to put my finger on it precisely; however, I feel there are signs in the coverage that displays the current weak state of journalism.

When stories are developing, there is often misinformation. I became aware of this, possibly most notably in my personal experience, when I heavily followed the Gabby Giffords shooting in 2011. Initial reports were very wrong. And the internet wasn’t quite what it is now in 2024. Twitter was still relatively new and we had only recently seen the way people could mobilize on the app in the wake of the Arab Spring in 2010. In 2013, Greg Campbell published a longform journalism story ‘Drone on the Range’ (link broken for unclear reasons). I remember being taken with this piece because it felt like a throwback to Hunter S. Thompson gonzo journalism (in the best kind of way). This was real investigative journalism.

What the Nex Benedict case feels like, in one respect, is a reminder of what we lost when we lost the majority of small local newspapers which have long been known as important watchdogs. Journalism, like politics, begins at the local level. We need to remember why having good local journalism makes a difference in the lives of everyday citizens in communities.

Let me be clear, the focus of the Nex Benedict story is not abstract. It’s about a denial of human rights and dignity by state and local legislature. Nex was a living, breathing person who will no long have the opportunity to live a full, meaningful life.

One reason this story has been muddled is because our society continues to stigmatize the LGBTQ+ community as well as mental health issues. Families do not want to acknowledge when a family member has died by suicide. This information may have been known early in the investigation into Nex’s death and would not have been released had this not turned into a national story. This raises important questions about ethics.

I have wanted to write more about Nex’s story since I first heard the devastating news. Quickly though, I saw discrepancies in what was being said and what was being reported. Different news sources were making contradictory statements. Some stories deadnamed Nex. My major concern was that some stories were stating that Nex clearly died as a result of their injuries after being assaulted. Other sources reported that Nex was alive and posting on socials until later in the day. Still other sources were saying that the verdict was out and that there was only preliminary information available about their death; reports indicated sources were awaiting a full report from a Medical Examiner.

This was not a matter of receiving double confirmation from two reliable sources. These are instances of several news outlets failing to responsibly report the news.

What needs to happen now? For one thing, Oklahoma needs to change their laws. Nex’s death is directly related to a law passed in 2022 requiring students in Oklahoma schools to use bathrooms that correspond to the sex “identified on the individual's original birth certificate.” Bullying is enough of a problem without the state stepping in to make matters worse.

Trans rights are not an armchair philosophical conversation. Real people are in real danger.

Conversations about biological “sex” and the “gender” spectrum can be nuanced. This shouldn’t stop us, as a society, from taking essential actions to protect those who are most vulnerable. We can keep having difficult and complex conversations. Conversations are good. In the meantime, let’s figure out how to start saving lives right now.