"Time's Up!": OPRAH, JANE VALEZ MITCHELL AND THE NANCY GRACE SHOW!
By Cyndi Caron
I’m going to be brutally honest here. Families of missing loved ones have a better chance of winning their state lottery, or in receiving an all expense paid trip around the world, including flights and hotel stays, than they do of getting their missing family member on those shows.
Why? Because for one most of what is presented has been on schedule for weeks by the producers and writers as well as the already interruptions when breaking news happens such as the devastating Haiti earthquake. Unless there is serious foul play involved, in which your local media is constantly portraying, and the surroundings of your missing loved one includes sensationalism, such as the spouse is a suspect who has been found to be committing adultery after your loved one goes missing and more so if children involved, along with your missing “Suzy” having a pristine background, it’s highly unlikely that her status will be aired.
Unfortunately, it’s television. The more scandal the better chance of your “story” being aired.
When is the last time you’ve seen a missing overweight runaway teen with acne, or a missing black male teenager portrayed on a nationally syndicated news or show? Is physical beauty a necessary requirement to capture the attention of viewers? Or as some African Americans will say “only white missing kids make it to those shows?”
What about missing adults? Why aren’t they portrayed? Is it due to the wrong mentality that “adults have a right to go missing?” Yes, nationally syndicated news agencies picked up on Ohio’s “missing mom” Tiffany Tehan, but that was only after it was realized she was spotted on video cameras weeks before with a mystery male. Yes, that story was indeed picked up due to the startling fact that missing mom was seemingly becoming a “runaway mom” leaving behind a church-going husband and her infant daughter. Personally, no adult has the right to go missing unless they are willing to notify their local police agency first. They have a right to leave, but to go missing? No.
So what are the criteria and how do families of missing get their loved ones on these shows?
Let’s start off with Nancy Grace’s show. While at times her show can be quite interesting, it is nearly always about the same case over and again with “breaking news” that happened days or even weeks ago and already known from online readers. While Nancy “gets to the matter” and nearly asks all the questions, that you the viewer want to know, her show is really not set up to portray multiple cases in an equal amount of airtime. Shame because from those I’ve talked with would love to see each nightly episode featuring two new missing cases each eve with no carry over, unless real breaking news exists. This could then be announced in a brief comment prior to commercial interruptions. Course, I’m neither an executive producer nor Nancy Grace’s producer so I will leave well enough said. On a positive note, Nancy does have a great blog online that various cases and missing loved ones are portrayed. There have been a time or two in which I’ve seen some of our LostNMissing loved ones’ banners posted and I welcome her staff to utilize any and as many as they like at any time. Banners are not copyright and all we ask is that they are kept intact as designed when posted.
Jane’s show, which I find has a more variety of topics, along with entire teams of professionals who voice their opinions and present updated facts to a case, is also extremely difficult to reach as producers schedule either far in advance or very near or immediate to whatever has happened the day before. It’s unfortunate as I feel her show is probably one of the most ideal to have a variety of missing loved ones portrayed. I invite Jane’s show to go through our website and feel free to pick and choose as many missing loved one’s banners and flash on the screen before or after the show anytime.
Oh Oprah! I don’t know what to say other than its hard to explain to family members of missing loved ones that it is nearly impossible to reach Oprah or any of her producers. Believe me, I’ve tried. I think as a non runner I could win the Boston Marathon before I could achieve having a missing loved one portrayed on Oprah’s show. It doesn’t matter that I personally beat Oprah, by one place, on the Ms. Twitterworld Contest. I came in 16th and she in 17th place. Even though she has over a million followers, to my 4300, you can bet I celebrated…a little anyhow. Did I really beat out Oprah on Twitter? I doubt it. For one, Oprah is so spread out far and wide with her many ventures that I really wonder if it’s Oprah tweeting anyhow. It’s my guess that one of her hundreds of “assistants” represents her. Or could it be that she was just “too kind” to tweet her followers to vote for her? Let the “little guy” win. Either way it doesn’t matter as it was merely a silly contest.
What does matter is what are the true criteria that I can tell crying parents, in emotional turmoil, as to why nationally syndicated shows would rather use valuable airtime listing all the mistresses of Tiger Woods and Jessie James as opposed to listing even a handful of missing loved ones? Yes, even adults who are missing have distraught and grieving parents who beg for any airtime possible for their missing child. Ask the parents of Jeramy Carl Burt, Brian Sullivan’s mom, or the family of missing Beverly Meadows. They would give anything to have their loved ones portrayed. Or the grandmother of 15 year old Peyton Borden, a young black male who bolted from an Illinois courthouse in the fall of 2009 after learning that he would have to go back and live with his father in Georgia, instead of residing with his maternal grandmother since his own mom was killed in a car accident when Peyton was only 8 years old, only to never be seen again! Perhaps talking with the family of Thomas and Jimmy Zinza would be ideal. Two brothers, both missing years apart. Yes, you read that correctly. Jimmy went missing in 1992 and could be living on the streets anywhere in the US and a nationally syndicated show could literally bring about recognition. Thomas went missing, under strange circumstances from a hotel room in PA while traveling on business from Hawaii in 2008. Imagine the turmoil their family endures, it’s incomprehensible.
I will close this with a challenge. Which nationally syndicated show will make contact with LostNMissing to offer to portray one of the many missing loved ones that we represent who has never received their much needed national airtime? Will it be Oprah? Nancy Grace? Or the Jane Valez Mitchell show? Stay tuned as I will update in my next report. My phone line is open.
Cynthia L. Caron
President/Founder
LostNMissing, Inc.
PH: 603.548.6548
www.lostnmissing.com
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Project Jason - Assistance for Families of the Missing
Project Jason - Assistance for Families of the Missing
U.S. Justice Department’s OVC Names Project Jason President Kelly Jolkowski 2010 Volunteer for Victims Honoree
Mother of missing son honored for helping other families cope
when their loved ones go missing
OMAHA, NE and WASHINGTON D.C. – April 16, 2010 – The U.S. Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) today named Kelly Jolkowski as the 2010 Volunteer for Victims Honoree. The announcement came at the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony Friday, April 16, 2010 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. The awards are part of the OVC’s National Crime Victims Rights Week, April 18-24. Jolkowski was one of eight people honored by the U.S. Justice Department for their work assisting victims of crime.
Jolkowski is President and Founder of Omaha, Neb.-based Project Jason, a nonprofit that assists families of missing adults and children. She became a volunteer for the cause of missing persons after her son, Jason, disappeared in 2001. Because Jason’s age placed him as an adult, she found it difficult to identify a source for advice or comfort. She determined no family should experience this loss without assistance, and founded Project Jason, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Ernie Allen, President and CEO of The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, said: “We congratulate Kelly Jolkowski, volunteer for families of the missing, for being among the honorees in this year’s National Crime Victims’ Service Awards. We thank the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Victims of Crime for recognizing such a worthy member of our community in such a significant and prominent manner. Furthermore, we applaud Kelly Jolkowski, whose outstanding work on behalf of the missing and their families resulted in this deserved honor today. We are proud of her, and fortunate to benefit from her knowledge, her talents, and her dedication.”
Colleen Nick, CEO of The Morgan Nick Foundation, said: “Our organization has been witness to Kelly's work for a number of years, and we have seen her powerful commitment in action as she guides the families of the missing through their darkest hours,” said Colleen Nick, CEO of The Morgan Nick Foundation, which provides a support network to parents and families of missing children. ”She provides hope and strength for these families and awareness for their missing loved ones. We are delighted that she has been singled out for this distinguished honor.”
“I’m honored to accept this award on behalf of all missing persons, the families who miss them, and in my son’s name,” said Jolkowski upon receiving the award. “The secondary victims, the families, deserve a voice, and to be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect as they go through what is undoubtedly the most difficult time in their lives. This is what I do, and for this work to be honored can be a catalyst for the change of the mindset of the public as it pertains to the aid given to these suffering families.”
About the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) was established by the 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to oversee diverse programs that benefit victims of crime. OVC provides substantial funding to state victim assistance and compensation programs-the lifeline services that help victims to heal. The agency supports trainings designed to educate criminal justice and allied professionals regarding the rights and needs of crime victims. OVC also sponsors an annual event in April to commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). OVC is one of seven components within the Office of Justice Programs,
About the OVC National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
Each April since 1981, OVC has helped lead communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/index.html
National Crime Victims’ Service Awards
OVC annually recognizes individuals and organizations that demonstrate outstanding service in supporting victims and victim services. The award recipients, who are selected from public nominations in eight categories, are extraordinary individuals and programs that provide services to victims of crime. The honorees are announced just before National Crime Victims’ Rights Week commences and honored at the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards (http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/events.htm).
The 2010 National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony: Friday, April 16, 2010
Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Washington, DC, 2:00–3:30 p.m. Eastern time.
About Project Jason
Project Jason, founded in 2003, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting families of missing persons . The organization offers tactical guidance, emotional support, and hope for families continuing their searches for answers.
The families working with Project Jason benefit from increased public awareness of their missing loved ones through a variety of outreach and educational activities. The families are also guided toward existing resources available to help with their efforts. Project Jason is based in Omaha, Nebraska.
For more information about Project Jason’s objectives, activities and services, go to http://www.projectjason.org
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=8594.msg48329#msg48329
U.S. Justice Department’s OVC Names Project Jason President Kelly Jolkowski 2010 Volunteer for Victims Honoree
Mother of missing son honored for helping other families cope
when their loved ones go missing
OMAHA, NE and WASHINGTON D.C. – April 16, 2010 – The U.S. Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) today named Kelly Jolkowski as the 2010 Volunteer for Victims Honoree. The announcement came at the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony Friday, April 16, 2010 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. The awards are part of the OVC’s National Crime Victims Rights Week, April 18-24. Jolkowski was one of eight people honored by the U.S. Justice Department for their work assisting victims of crime.
Jolkowski is President and Founder of Omaha, Neb.-based Project Jason, a nonprofit that assists families of missing adults and children. She became a volunteer for the cause of missing persons after her son, Jason, disappeared in 2001. Because Jason’s age placed him as an adult, she found it difficult to identify a source for advice or comfort. She determined no family should experience this loss without assistance, and founded Project Jason, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Ernie Allen, President and CEO of The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, said: “We congratulate Kelly Jolkowski, volunteer for families of the missing, for being among the honorees in this year’s National Crime Victims’ Service Awards. We thank the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Victims of Crime for recognizing such a worthy member of our community in such a significant and prominent manner. Furthermore, we applaud Kelly Jolkowski, whose outstanding work on behalf of the missing and their families resulted in this deserved honor today. We are proud of her, and fortunate to benefit from her knowledge, her talents, and her dedication.”
Colleen Nick, CEO of The Morgan Nick Foundation, said: “Our organization has been witness to Kelly's work for a number of years, and we have seen her powerful commitment in action as she guides the families of the missing through their darkest hours,” said Colleen Nick, CEO of The Morgan Nick Foundation, which provides a support network to parents and families of missing children. ”She provides hope and strength for these families and awareness for their missing loved ones. We are delighted that she has been singled out for this distinguished honor.”
“I’m honored to accept this award on behalf of all missing persons, the families who miss them, and in my son’s name,” said Jolkowski upon receiving the award. “The secondary victims, the families, deserve a voice, and to be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect as they go through what is undoubtedly the most difficult time in their lives. This is what I do, and for this work to be honored can be a catalyst for the change of the mindset of the public as it pertains to the aid given to these suffering families.”
About the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) was established by the 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to oversee diverse programs that benefit victims of crime. OVC provides substantial funding to state victim assistance and compensation programs-the lifeline services that help victims to heal. The agency supports trainings designed to educate criminal justice and allied professionals regarding the rights and needs of crime victims. OVC also sponsors an annual event in April to commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). OVC is one of seven components within the Office of Justice Programs,
About the OVC National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
Each April since 1981, OVC has helped lead communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/index.html
National Crime Victims’ Service Awards
OVC annually recognizes individuals and organizations that demonstrate outstanding service in supporting victims and victim services. The award recipients, who are selected from public nominations in eight categories, are extraordinary individuals and programs that provide services to victims of crime. The honorees are announced just before National Crime Victims’ Rights Week commences and honored at the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards (http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/events.htm).
The 2010 National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony: Friday, April 16, 2010
Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Washington, DC, 2:00–3:30 p.m. Eastern time.
About Project Jason
Project Jason, founded in 2003, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting families of missing persons . The organization offers tactical guidance, emotional support, and hope for families continuing their searches for answers.
The families working with Project Jason benefit from increased public awareness of their missing loved ones through a variety of outreach and educational activities. The families are also guided toward existing resources available to help with their efforts. Project Jason is based in Omaha, Nebraska.
For more information about Project Jason’s objectives, activities and services, go to http://www.projectjason.org
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=8594.msg48329#msg48329
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Code Amber News: Imminent meant now, not latter for little Zara.
Code Amber News: Imminent meant now, not latter for little Zara.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/84762197.html
DNA tests confirm ID of baby found along Raritan River 2 days ago. 5/2/2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Home
Home
My friend Jeanne sent out this appeal on my behalf after receiving my email and I thought I WILL FORWARD THIS. What if? What if everyone of my 1,153 email contacts, my 1,829 friends on my Glendene Facebook page, my 2,016 friends on my MissingJessie Facebook page, the 34,964 people who have read my Jessie Blog, the 101,030 people who have read my NowPublic site and the 110.231 people who have viewed the Official Missing Jessie website would send $1 (ONE DOLLAR) each, that would be $251,223. Now - if they sent $5 (FIVE DOLLARS) we would be able to raise $1,256,115.00!! Over 1.25 million dollars (OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS)! Can you believe it? Thinking bigger! What if they told 2 friends, and they told 2 friends, and so on . . . and so . . . and so on. Think how wonderful it would be if we could start our own non-profit organization - Jessie will be the President! We can help victims and their loved ones - human trafficking victims, missing persons, unsolved murders. The amount of people we can ultimately help is endless. All because you put $5 in an envelope and told 2 friends.
EVERYONE, LET'S DO THIS FOR JESSIE!
LET'S HELP THE VICTIMS WHO ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO HELP THEMSELVES!
LET'S SPEAK FOR THE VICTIMS WHO NO LONGER HAVE A VOICE TO BE HEARD!!!!
Let's do this for the families who do not know what to do, where to turn, or how to live when there is someone missing in their lives.
We can help! Remember, one person can make a difference! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Jessie's mom Glendene Grant.
My friend Jeanne sent out this appeal on my behalf after receiving my email and I thought I WILL FORWARD THIS. What if? What if everyone of my 1,153 email contacts, my 1,829 friends on my Glendene Facebook page, my 2,016 friends on my MissingJessie Facebook page, the 34,964 people who have read my Jessie Blog, the 101,030 people who have read my NowPublic site and the 110.231 people who have viewed the Official Missing Jessie website would send $1 (ONE DOLLAR) each, that would be $251,223. Now - if they sent $5 (FIVE DOLLARS) we would be able to raise $1,256,115.00!! Over 1.25 million dollars (OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS)! Can you believe it? Thinking bigger! What if they told 2 friends, and they told 2 friends, and so on . . . and so . . . and so on. Think how wonderful it would be if we could start our own non-profit organization - Jessie will be the President! We can help victims and their loved ones - human trafficking victims, missing persons, unsolved murders. The amount of people we can ultimately help is endless. All because you put $5 in an envelope and told 2 friends.
EVERYONE, LET'S DO THIS FOR JESSIE!
LET'S HELP THE VICTIMS WHO ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO HELP THEMSELVES!
LET'S SPEAK FOR THE VICTIMS WHO NO LONGER HAVE A VOICE TO BE HEARD!!!!
Let's do this for the families who do not know what to do, where to turn, or how to live when there is someone missing in their lives.
We can help! Remember, one person can make a difference! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Jessie's mom Glendene Grant.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
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A Cry for Help
