Thank you again David for continuing to put a spotlight on this issue. I emailed Ruth Hill very shortly after the article was published with the same information I shared with you. As of today, I still have not heard back. The silence is maddening and deafening. Thank you for responding to me so quickly and getting Alex's story out there and allowing his own voice to set the record straight.
Edited June 22nd - - RNZ confirmed to me they did receive the email but had misplaced it due to filters. This will be my last update. Thank you everyone who has been following along, for your support of Alex and for sharing his voice.
Thank you Angel for sharing Alex's story and the truth. Heartbreaking to read just how terrible the parents were but Alex seemed like a wonderful human who deserved better. Lots of hugs to you and everyone who knew and loved him.
I share your concerns that those 'professionals' did not do their job as best as they could have. It's disgusting that this happened in today's society.
David, I went to the BSA website with the intention of lodging a complaint, but I see that they require a complaint to be made straight to the broadcaster first. So I've sent a formal complaint to RNZ. I hope I'm doing this the right way and haven't missed anything. I'll see how the RNZ complaint goes and then take it to BSA if needed.
I'm thinking a lot today about how hard it has been to encourage journalists to pick up things like media releases about trans health issues. There have been many stories this year that have received very minimal coverage and I worry that our media is avoiding covering these stories properly. Where RNZ used to be a reliable outlet to offer evidence based coverage and not lean so far into "balance" that it becomes blatant misinformation, it just is not anymore. While this happens, in trans health, we have the puberty blockers review results that turned into an unprecedented public consultation on how to provide healthcare (goodbye evidence based, hello the clinic of public misinformation), we have the approved, evidence-based, and TWO-commissioned gender affirming care guidelines being stopped by Matt Doocey in an unprecedented ministerial overreach, we have the government attacking perinatal health services who dare to use best practice to support and treat transmasculine birthing parents, we have Winston and David doing whatever fucked up Americanised anti-trans bullshit that they want to, it goes on and on and on.
I'm also thinking a lot today about the way that the South Island has only about 15-16 dedicated, specialist, public eating disorder beds for the whole entire island. They serve to refeed a patient and discharge them, often for that patient to relapse because they never got the chance to fully recover. Canterbury has a private, dedicated residential eating disorders clinic based off of models used very successfully overseas, run by a practitioner who I know is trans-inclusive, but it is very new and is not receiving any public funding besides ACC sensitive claims. Otago has a generalist private residential mental health facility that does have an eating disorders pathway and accept patients with public funding, but everyone I know who has been there has felt pressured to leave care early because of endless toxic drama - and the trans patients I know who have been there have experienced gross transphobia and a refusal to *let them* affirm their own gender identities.
I work in health policy. This is my area of expertise. I have dedicated my career to trans health, policy, education, professional development. I have lived experience with eating disorders. I am autistic. And circling back to Alex, I am just devastated that as we continue doing the work we are doing to try and prevent more tragic and unnecessary deaths like his, we are blocked at every fucking front by backwards minded extra hot milky flat white drinkers in shitty suits with egos too big to fit in their tiny little brains.
RNZ’s Mediawatch has just published some brilliant commentary on this story from Hayden Donnell.
Having an RNZ correspondent, who is also best friends with David and who regularly writes for Webworm, heavily criticising their own organisation’s reporting is a tricky professional needle to thread, but I think that Hayden did so admirably.
Just caught up with this, and today's mediawatch, and agree. It was good to hear, but probably few will in comparison to the coverage it is commenting on.
Thank you ❤️ really appreciate your mahi on this David. It can take a toll - dealing with TERFs - so I hope you know your community cares very deeply about you and I hope you have opportunity to rest and be with those who love you ❤️
They are quite... rabid? Gets weird, quickly. The main thing that strikes me about TERFs is that it's all they talk about. Ever. Like - I get passionate about things, but I also have *other* things. It's full on, eh.
Yep. It’s pretty clear that once people go down the TERF rabbithole then it infects every aspect of their personality and worldview, to the extent that it becomes the only thing that they talk about.
When’s the last time you’ve heard anything from Graham Lineham about comedy, or JK Rowling about fantasy world-building? They’ve both ended up consumed by their perceived grievances and acting out of spite towards trans people instead of leaning in to the sense of joy that their past work used to bring people.
Thank you so much for covering this story, it's so important to have journalists who will speak up when another journalist and news organisation does something so blatantly unethical and harmful. Alex deserved his voice to be heard in any reporting about him, and that piece deprived its readers not only of his voice but even his name. Thank you for sharing Alex's story through his own words and giving him back that small piece of basic human dignity.
I felt physically sick when I read that article. Particularly how Alex's ED was discussed, the headline (who wrote that?! ARE THEY OK?!) That first paragraph or so about a smiling photo of a girl and then the next photo... it reads thirsty. Verging on voyeuristic. That's the only way I can think to describe the tone of this piece. I've people I love suffer incredibly with their ED so that hit close to home, the irresponsible way the ED was approached in this reporting.
I did write a complaint to RNZ a few days ago, be interesting to see how they choose to reply to everyone.
Just caught Mediawatch. Really appreciated how Hayden handled it. Particularly in the last part of the segment – that Alex really worked at a great personal cost to live his truth, and that should mean something here.
The response about whether or not the email seems like a way to distract from the real issues. The email isn't lost anymore, and it's well within their power to fix the incorrect reporting (they seem to have corrected six other articles since this one was published).
just wondering if those professional s involved will get more training to work with young people like Alex. I still can't believe what happened with so many people 'supporting' him ? I am shocked, still
I understand after making a complaint to RNZ it would then go to the Media Council rather than BSA as online content? Could be wrong! https://www.mediacouncil.org.nz/complaints/
Thank you again David for continuing to put a spotlight on this issue. I emailed Ruth Hill very shortly after the article was published with the same information I shared with you. As of today, I still have not heard back. The silence is maddening and deafening. Thank you for responding to me so quickly and getting Alex's story out there and allowing his own voice to set the record straight.
Edited June 22nd - - RNZ confirmed to me they did receive the email but had misplaced it due to filters. This will be my last update. Thank you everyone who has been following along, for your support of Alex and for sharing his voice.
Thank you Angel for sharing Alex's story and the truth. Heartbreaking to read just how terrible the parents were but Alex seemed like a wonderful human who deserved better. Lots of hugs to you and everyone who knew and loved him.
I share your concerns that those 'professionals' did not do their job as best as they could have. It's disgusting that this happened in today's society.
David, I went to the BSA website with the intention of lodging a complaint, but I see that they require a complaint to be made straight to the broadcaster first. So I've sent a formal complaint to RNZ. I hope I'm doing this the right way and haven't missed anything. I'll see how the RNZ complaint goes and then take it to BSA if needed.
I updated the story above to get a bit more specific (a media council complaint is best).
Thank you!
Can log the media council complaint 10 days after the complaint to RNZ.
I'm thinking a lot today about how hard it has been to encourage journalists to pick up things like media releases about trans health issues. There have been many stories this year that have received very minimal coverage and I worry that our media is avoiding covering these stories properly. Where RNZ used to be a reliable outlet to offer evidence based coverage and not lean so far into "balance" that it becomes blatant misinformation, it just is not anymore. While this happens, in trans health, we have the puberty blockers review results that turned into an unprecedented public consultation on how to provide healthcare (goodbye evidence based, hello the clinic of public misinformation), we have the approved, evidence-based, and TWO-commissioned gender affirming care guidelines being stopped by Matt Doocey in an unprecedented ministerial overreach, we have the government attacking perinatal health services who dare to use best practice to support and treat transmasculine birthing parents, we have Winston and David doing whatever fucked up Americanised anti-trans bullshit that they want to, it goes on and on and on.
I'm also thinking a lot today about the way that the South Island has only about 15-16 dedicated, specialist, public eating disorder beds for the whole entire island. They serve to refeed a patient and discharge them, often for that patient to relapse because they never got the chance to fully recover. Canterbury has a private, dedicated residential eating disorders clinic based off of models used very successfully overseas, run by a practitioner who I know is trans-inclusive, but it is very new and is not receiving any public funding besides ACC sensitive claims. Otago has a generalist private residential mental health facility that does have an eating disorders pathway and accept patients with public funding, but everyone I know who has been there has felt pressured to leave care early because of endless toxic drama - and the trans patients I know who have been there have experienced gross transphobia and a refusal to *let them* affirm their own gender identities.
I work in health policy. This is my area of expertise. I have dedicated my career to trans health, policy, education, professional development. I have lived experience with eating disorders. I am autistic. And circling back to Alex, I am just devastated that as we continue doing the work we are doing to try and prevent more tragic and unnecessary deaths like his, we are blocked at every fucking front by backwards minded extra hot milky flat white drinkers in shitty suits with egos too big to fit in their tiny little brains.
Re feeding is force feeding. They might put on weight but it doesn't deal with the issues.
Exactly.
RNZ’s Mediawatch has just published some brilliant commentary on this story from Hayden Donnell.
Having an RNZ correspondent, who is also best friends with David and who regularly writes for Webworm, heavily criticising their own organisation’s reporting is a tricky professional needle to thread, but I think that Hayden did so admirably.
Here’s the link, it’s well worth a listen:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018992024/midweek-a-troubling-story-about-a-troubled-trans-teen-s-death
A good listen.
That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said about Hayden 😁
Just caught up with this, and today's mediawatch, and agree. It was good to hear, but probably few will in comparison to the coverage it is commenting on.
very interesting
Thank you ❤️ really appreciate your mahi on this David. It can take a toll - dealing with TERFs - so I hope you know your community cares very deeply about you and I hope you have opportunity to rest and be with those who love you ❤️
They are quite... rabid? Gets weird, quickly. The main thing that strikes me about TERFs is that it's all they talk about. Ever. Like - I get passionate about things, but I also have *other* things. It's full on, eh.
Yep. It’s pretty clear that once people go down the TERF rabbithole then it infects every aspect of their personality and worldview, to the extent that it becomes the only thing that they talk about.
When’s the last time you’ve heard anything from Graham Lineham about comedy, or JK Rowling about fantasy world-building? They’ve both ended up consumed by their perceived grievances and acting out of spite towards trans people instead of leaning in to the sense of joy that their past work used to bring people.
Thank you so much for covering this story, it's so important to have journalists who will speak up when another journalist and news organisation does something so blatantly unethical and harmful. Alex deserved his voice to be heard in any reporting about him, and that piece deprived its readers not only of his voice but even his name. Thank you for sharing Alex's story through his own words and giving him back that small piece of basic human dignity.
💙
I felt physically sick when I read that article. Particularly how Alex's ED was discussed, the headline (who wrote that?! ARE THEY OK?!) That first paragraph or so about a smiling photo of a girl and then the next photo... it reads thirsty. Verging on voyeuristic. That's the only way I can think to describe the tone of this piece. I've people I love suffer incredibly with their ED so that hit close to home, the irresponsible way the ED was approached in this reporting.
I did write a complaint to RNZ a few days ago, be interesting to see how they choose to reply to everyone.
Great work, David and Angel!
Just caught Mediawatch. Really appreciated how Hayden handled it. Particularly in the last part of the segment – that Alex really worked at a great personal cost to live his truth, and that should mean something here.
The response about whether or not the email seems like a way to distract from the real issues. The email isn't lost anymore, and it's well within their power to fix the incorrect reporting (they seem to have corrected six other articles since this one was published).
💙💙💙
just wondering if those professional s involved will get more training to work with young people like Alex. I still can't believe what happened with so many people 'supporting' him ? I am shocked, still
A big part of the coroner's report will be attempting to answer some of these very valid questions. We wait.
It's unfortunate we have to talk about *any* of this, but that kinda changed when a bunch of TERFs decided to weaponise the story.
yes...unfortunately. just listened to RNZ discussing this topic. thank you for putting it out there x
💙
I understand after making a complaint to RNZ it would then go to the Media Council rather than BSA as online content? Could be wrong! https://www.mediacouncil.org.nz/complaints/
Correct - my apologies.
I have updated the story above to reflect all that.
In short - BSA for the Morning Report story that was on air - but for the online only stuff at RNZ, Stuff and 1News, the Media Council is the place.
Yeah, think that is correct, so not quite as many teeth unfortunately. If that OneNews piece was aired defo make a BSA complaint about that.
It was online only I believe - so another Media Council complaint.