Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Don Lazzarini" <>]

Greetings all,

Just a heads up on our experience with the "caring" media. One of our
students was solicited for an Oprah show several years ago on
acquaintance rape. The invited counter to the student victims was
Camille Paglia (information never shared with us before hand). Between
clever editing, the hosts blaming language and Paglia's non-pausing
monologue the experience was disappointing at best and traumatic for our
student. Media thrives on conflict and works to sensationalize
everything, increasing their market share along the way. There is an old
caution about "not getting into a war of words with someone who buys ink
in 55 gallon drums". 

Between the media editing and putting their spin on things your
student's voice will end up portraying whatever the producer wants it to
say. Your student's face is just as likely to be juxtaposed next to
victim blaming perpetrators in the final cut and you won't have any
power to change that. So please think long and carefully before you
offer one of your students to mix it up with the big girls and boys of
media. They tend to still see assault as a personal problem not a public
issue. "So tell me Susie what did you do to get yourself in that
situation..."

Lessons learned the hard way.

Don Lazzarini M. Ed
Coordinator VAWOC Project
Resource Specialist
University of Idaho
208-885-2956



-----Original Message-----
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 On Behalf Of

Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2004 8:02 AM
To: 

Subject: SAPC Digest, Vol 252, Issue 1


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Today's Topics:

   1. Media exposure (Catherine Bath)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2004 15:03:36 -0400
From: Catherine Bath 
<>
To: 
<>
Subject: Media exposure
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I get calls from the media fairly often, especially this time of year.
Since the beginning of August I have been contacted by Inside edition,
20/20, dateline, HBO and Montel Williams.  We have been working with
dateline on a segment about college student acquaintance rape that will
be airing in October.  Montel Williams is doing a show about female
stalking. (Females stalking other females)  If any of you have worked
with a victim of such stalking who might want to share her story, let me
know and I will put you in touch with the producer.
--
Catherine Bath
Executive Director
Security on Campus, Inc.
(888) 251-7959
http://www.securityoncampus.org/

------------------------------

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End of SAPC Digest, Vol 252, Issue 1
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Subject: Re: Television and victims media exposure
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I can second Don's concerns about media.  Even shows that have the "image"
of being caring programs, have been known to "use" victims/survivors.
Several years ago, one of the major talk shows wanted to bring me on their
show and have at least one survivor accompany me (a survivor who had been
through my presentation).  As the date neared to fly us in for the taping of
the show, they expressed concern that the survivor had received counseling.
They wanted a person who had NOT received counseling so that the audience
could "feel her pain more" -- as if a survivor who has gone through
counseling does not have pain.  We explained our serious reservations and
then they threw another last-second surprise on us:  they were going to have
a rapist on stage at the same time.  We completely backed out of doing the
show.  While the opportunity may have provided me incredible national media
exposure, the risk to the survivor was not worth it -- and the harm the show
may have done toward sexual assault awareness.

This past year, I was pre-interviewed for a national news magazine show.
Then, they flew me into their studios.  I was looking forward to the show
because they told me that they really liked my answers and so I thought we
were finally going to get a chance to discuss the real issues of sexual
assault through a national media source.  When I got to the studios, the
person interviewing me for the show had not even read the "pre-interview"
which is the set of questions that they told me they wanted me to discuss.
Instead, the person interviewing me went a completely different direction
and I did not give them what they wanted.  To be good "TV", you need short
and precise answers.  The questions they were throwing out at me could not
be answered quickly and so I did not give them "Good TV".  I answered with
very detailed answers to try my best with insuring that they would not twist
my words.  What happened?  The segment never aired.  I am perfectly okay
with that result.  Looking back, I learned that I should have just refused
to answer those questions.  Now I do.  The more you work with the media, the
more prepared you are for every situation.

Do I still have contacts and work with national media?  Yes, but I am very
careful of putting a survivor in such a situation (unless that survivor is
experienced in talking with the media).  I would do it again because I think
that sooner or later, we (people working to make a difference) could get the
chance to open up this conversation on a national level through a healthy
and provocative discussion.  I would hate for us not to utilize that
opportunity.  However, I go into each interview very aware of exactly where
the interview could go (in any direction) and I always decide my "out" plan
(what I will and will not discuss).  The fact is that there are people in
the media that care and want to make a difference (the difficulty is knowing
who they are).  Hope this helps.

Mike Domitrz  

-- "Can I Kiss You?  Dating, Communication, Respect & Sexual Assault
Awareness" for Students & Educators
-- Watch Video Online at www.domitrz.com
-- Toll-Free: (800) 329-9390
-- Website:  www.domitrz.com

**Get a Complimentary copy of Chapter Eight from Mike's book ~ "May I Kiss
You?  A Candid Look at Dating, Communication, Respect, & Sexual Assault
Awareness" by signing up at www.domitrz.com **


----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Lazzarini" 
<>
To: 
<>
Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 4:48 PM
Subject: RE: Television and victims media exposure


Greetings all,

Just a heads up on our experience with the "caring" media. One of our
students was solicited for an Oprah show several years ago on
acquaintance rape. The invited counter to the student victims was
Camille Paglia (information never shared with us before hand). Between
clever editing, the hosts blaming language and Paglia's non-pausing
monologue the experience was disappointing at best and traumatic for our
student. Media thrives on conflict and works to sensationalize
everything, increasing their market share along the way. There is an old
caution about "not getting into a war of words with someone who buys ink
in 55 gallon drums".

Between the media editing and putting their spin on things your
student's voice will end up portraying whatever the producer wants it to
say. Your student's face is just as likely to be juxtaposed next to
victim blaming perpetrators in the final cut and you won't have any
power to change that. So please think long and carefully before you
offer one of your students to mix it up with the big girls and boys of
media. They tend to still see assault as a personal problem not a public
issue. "So tell me Susie what did you do to get yourself in that
situation..."

Lessons learned the hard way.

Don Lazzarini M. Ed
Coordinator VAWOC Project
Resource Specialist
University of Idaho
208-885-2956



-----Original Message-----
From: 

[mailto:]
 On Behalf Of

Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2004 8:02 AM
To: 

Subject: SAPC Digest, Vol 252, Issue 1


Send SAPC mailing list submissions to


To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
https://list.mail.Virginia.EDU/mailman/listinfo/sapc
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to


You can reach the person managing the list at


When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than
"Re: Contents of SAPC digest..."


Today's Topics:

   1. Media exposure (Catherine Bath)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2004 15:03:36 -0400
From: Catherine Bath 
<>
To: 
<>
Subject: Media exposure
Message-ID: 
<>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Precedence: list
Message: 1

I get calls from the media fairly often, especially this time of year.
Since the beginning of August I have been contacted by Inside edition,
20/20, dateline, HBO and Montel Williams.  We have been working with
dateline on a segment about college student acquaintance rape that will
be airing in October.  Montel Williams is doing a show about female
stalking. (Females stalking other females)  If any of you have worked
with a victim of such stalking who might want to share her story, let me
know and I will put you in touch with the producer.
--
Catherine Bath
Executive Director
Security on Campus, Inc.
(888) 251-7959
http://www.securityoncampus.org/

------------------------------

_______________________________________________
SAPC mailing list

https://list.mail.Virginia.EDU/mailman/listinfo/sapc


End of SAPC Digest, Vol 252, Issue 1
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