Revelation of tragedy surrounding Bills’ Ed Oliver sparks conversation over journalistic ethics

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

On Saturday, the wider world learned about a tragedy that many media members covering the Buffalo Bills had known since June. Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver and his family are mourning the tragic death of his two-year-old son in a drowning that occurred in a residential swimming pool in Texas.

On June 28, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media just before 10 p.m. that a toddler had been found unresponsive in a pool that evening and had been taken to the hospital, where the child was pronounced dead. The sheriff’s office did not provide any further details about the child or how the incident had occurred. While they did not identify the address, property records showed that Oliver owned a home on the street where it occurred.

The Buffalo News says it contacted the sheriff’s office the following day to gather further information on the incident and those involved, but was directed to file a public records request. According to News reporters Lance Lysowski and Stephen T. Watson, several public records requests were submitted until the sheriff’s office responded on Aug. 12 with a copy of a letter the agency had sent to the Texas attorney general seeking permission to reject The News’ request, citing a need to withhold requested documents as part of an “open and active investigation.” The News says it has not yet received an official ruling from the Texas attorney general on the matter.

Grainy video footage surfaced online after the incident, showing a distraught man who appeared to be Oliver sitting on a curb and speaking to a sheriff’s deputy.

All of which is to say that Buffalo media appears to have been well aware of the incident in the months since, though no one reported it, even as Oliver, who has spent his entire career with the Bills organization after being drafted out of Houston in 2019, has missed time during the preseason, presumably for injury-related reasons.

This background became relevant on Friday night when the Tony Farmer X account made public the story that Oliver’s two-year-old son, also named Ed, was the child involved.

The account, which has developed a reputation for obsessive coverage of NFL-related stories that it feels are not getting reported fully, defended the action by saying there was a “ media blackout on this story ” and comparing it to the death of NFL player Shaq Barrett’s two-year-old daughter by drowning, which became public knowledge the same day. Farmer also called out specific media members who appeared to know about the Oliver incident but did not report it.

According to ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe  and  Alaina Getzenberg , the Bills had been aware of the incident since June, and they and Oliver “were in alignment on revealing what happened to his son, who was also named Ed, at this time.”

With the news publicly revealed, the franchise acknowledged the tragedy in a statement Saturday .

“On behalf of the entire Buffalo Bills organization, we want to publicly express our condolences to Ed Oliver and his family on the devastating loss of his son,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said. “It’s an unthinkable tragedy for any parent. We will continue to support Ed and his family as we all grieve this tragic loss.”

The statement and the attention the story was now receiving didn’t sit well with some in the NFL media world, who admonished Farmer for releasing it without consideration for the Oliver family and any plans they might have to announce it themselves.

“It’s a shame the team had to do this and [Ed] Oliver wasn’t allowed to grieve on his own timeline because an engagement Farmer disgustingly felt entitled to information about the death of a two-year-old,” wrote Broncos insider Benjamin Allbright on X .

“I think it’s miserable the lack of respect [Farmer] has for other human beings and how he wants to capitalize on creating scandals from people’s misfortunes,” said NFL Draft analyst John Vogel on X .

“Very upsetting that the story came out like that against their wishes while they are still processing and grieving,” wrote Brett Kollman on X . “Being public figures does not entitle us all to know everything about their lives just so some ‘media’ person can get clicks.”

The situation also sparked a discussion about journalistic responsibility in reporting on tragedies, especially when they involve children and delicate details that may cause further harm to those involved.

“As a journalist, certain stories arise that ask MORE of you. That doesn’t mean being less of a journalist. But it does mean exercising more care, more discernment, more grace, having more conversations with those who have handled these situations before, leaning on local law enforcement, and also leaning on team communications staff members who understand you have a job to do but will also be straight with you and even push back at times,” wrote ESPN’s Jenna Laine on X , while also providing context around how she covered the Shaq Barrett family tragedy.

“As a journalist, nothing prepares you for covering a tragedy like this, and none of us are perfect in the way we handle it,” she continued. “But there is a way to do this that affords respect and dignity to all involved.”

In situations such as these, the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics states that reporters should “show compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage” and recognize that “private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than public officials.”

Similarly, the Poynter Institute’s ethics guidelines suggest that journalists ask themselves why they are rushing to publish stories such as these and what public good is served by beating the family’s own announcement.

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