Guest guest Posted November 17, 2000 Report Share Posted November 17, 2000 Fellow parents, I thought I could shed some light on the decision to participate in a possible Dateline segment. I've worked in the television industry for 20 years, as a news anchor and later as a producer of public television documentaries. As Jackie points out, telling your family's personal story can be either a breakthrough or a setback. It can free you from the burden of hiding your family's pain. Or it can double the burden by subjecting your family to judgment from the ignorant. Many times, I've been that producer who persuaded someone to tell their painful story for the cameras. While I have conscientiously tried to always be truthful and objective, editing and time constraints unintentionally distort the story. How can you adequately describe in minutes what a family has struggled with for years? At best it's maudlin. At worst it's superficial. On the other hand, I've felt gratified when families tell me later that my piece was a positive turning point for them. When struggling with raising a child who is " different " it can be liberating to widen your support system to include your whole town or city. The expression " It takes a village... " can be so true in these situations. Since my daughter's diagnosis, I've thought about producing a documentary on this subject to further educate the public. There's so much I want people to know. Yet, our struggle is still too new, too raw, with no happy ending in sight. shows no insight into her disorder, so she's not " interviewable " . Tamar, if you want any insight into the producer's agenda, I'd be happy to offer my observations through private email. Betsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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