News Story
Robert Rossi
Hello all,
I just wanted to let everyone know that Allan Dietrich's photographs
did not
win a Pulitzer at the awards on April 14, 1998
http://www.pulitzer.org/ for
the photographs he took for the Children of the Underground Article.
What I
can't believe is that his pictures were even nominated for one of the
awards!
As some of you are aware, there were some very spirited emails about
this
subject. I am actually no longer talking to some certain parents over
this
very heated topic. My daughter and I recently visited one of the
fathers in
the article. I still stand by my original opinion that the photographs
that
Allan took in January 1997 of a 13 year going into hiding was an
irresponsible
piece of journalism (btw, he spoke to Jim and Bob in Washington in May
of
1997). Allan did not "fairly photograph the news " he "became the
news". My
position and opinion is that this 13 year old would have never gone
into
hiding had Allan not been in town that day. I also do not believe it
was
soley Faye Yager who set it up since April Meyer is also an alleged
leader of
this group or cult. I also believe it was irresponsible for Allan to
redact
the license plates of the aiders and abettors of this crime in his
dark room.
By so agreeing, "he also participated the news".
It's also my understanding that several parents sent letters to both
Mackenzie
and Allan asking not to have the pictures of the children in the
article.
Their requests were ignored.
So what did I personally learn from this experience. First of all, as
a
searching parent you can rarely trust the media. You should always
assume the
worst (acutally Ben Ermini, Case Manager of the NCMEC told me that
once...he
had a bad experience with Sally Jesse Raphael). It's the media's job
to get
the story. They are ruthless and untrustworthly. Yet, to find your
children
you also need publicity.
I also learned that reporters sometimes have their own agendas such as
reporting to win a pulitzer or for a cause. I've since learned that
feminist
and former pulitzer winner Anna Quindlen recently wrote about the
Underground
in one of her books. These reporters are not interested in hearing
from
leading child abduction experts such as JoAnn Lippert, Chris Hatcher,
Janet
Johnston or Geoffrey Greif. They're also not very interested in the
privacy
and rights of children.
believe it's very wrong for the media to interview children that are
in
hiding and parents on the run. It's unfair to the left-behind parents
and
their familes. It's one of the cruelest things that can happen to a
left
behind parent.
Lastly, so how does this relate to CoMAC? Last year Allan Dietrich
was in
Washington and met several members of CoMAC. He took some pictures
and asked
for referrals to other members for his photographs on the Underground.
What
he was really trying to do was get in contact with the left-behind
father of
the parental kidnapping that he partipcated in. Unfortunately, I was
the one
who gave him the father's number. I suggest everyone be very careful
when
speaking to the media in such cases.
Regards,
Marty from California
mart...@aol.com