Why have Lisa's parents stopped talking to the media?
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Local media (or any media for that matter) will report on a story when there is actually a story. I would think the only time this differs is if a journalist is doing an investigative piece and is trying to poke and prod for answers. Having 'feelings hurt' should be irrelevant, journalists (and news departments) are in the business of putting the best story out there for consumption. I've never heard of news departments stop covering a story simply because someone doesn't want to talk to them. If there is news, they will cover it.
hambirg
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That was my point. There is no news here, IMHO. The story would be if they could interview the parents, short of that there isn't much to report.
RANCH
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Maybe your right and the only story possible is talking to Lisa's parents. Personally I have my doubts about that. One thing I feel strongly about is the media doesn't have their hands tied behind their backs because DB and JI won't talk to them. JMO.
That's how I feel as well. If one of the news stations wants to do some sort of exposition piece or a (insert news station call letters) investigates piece, there are ways to do that without dealing with the parents.
I find it interesting and perhaps this will be approached at the anniversary comes up, that the media either doesn't seemed too inclined to approach anyone else about this outside of the parents or LE or nobody else is talking. I'm talking about other family members, neighbors, etc. Perhaps there is nothing more to ask that hasn't been asked in the early reporting of this story.
Maybe it's also just the reality of the fact that from the journalist point of view, Lisa is just one missing child in a multitude of missing child cases.
Oldsoul2
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Here's my question.....if my child apparently got taken by someone I assure you I would utilize the media and anyone else in utter despair and desperation to get my child back or know what happened to her, really, what's the difference whether they don't have a story or the parents won't talk the mere fact that they are more afraid of being implicated because of the media than letting them keep this flame afire speaks volumes to me. If you had nothing to do with it, who cares.
RANCH
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Are you asking if following their lawyers advice to limit contact with the media is a bad idea? It certainly doesn't help with their popularity but it's probably good legal advice. Would more regular appearances in the media make a difference in finding Lisa? I'm not sure if it would.
JMO.
The news networks are not going to put them on the air simply because their daughter is missing. Lets be honest here, the only reason the networks would put DB/JI on the air is for some interview that puts the spotlight on DB/JI, not Lisa Irwin. Because at this point, that would be the story. I know this is hard to accept for some, but the news agencies are not in the business of being of a 24/7 missing persons outlet, they are in the business of telling stories and ratings. I could go over to the missing persons forum right now, scan the first page of threads and probably count on one hand how many of those missing persons are still relevant in the news cycle today. Some of which are not that old of a story, some that have gone missing more recently than Lisa.
I think there are many things the parents could and should be doing but there are other forms of media in this day and age to get the message out other than TV.
eileenhawkeye
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Do you think the parents could not get any airtime from November 1 to February 2? They didn't talk to the media at all between those dates.
And Jim Spellman said he would still love to interview D&J so they could get on TV easily.
They'll go because they are looking for the parents to slip up. They are not going because they want to plaster BL's face over the news so someone would find her. The story is the parents, not Lisa Irwin. The parents know this, hence why they won't go on TV.
Sure they could of. Maybe we should ask JS why he wants to interview the parents. Is it to find Lisa Irwin? I don't see reporters crowding these balloon/vigil events or camping out the Irwin home today trying to get answers. Do you think it's because their 'feelings are hurt' or because the story isn't in the news cycle at this time?
eileenhawkeye
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But when the parents talk, Lisa's face would be plastered all over the news. Who cares what the media's intention is? The more coverage a case gets, the more it will be ingrained in people's minds. At this point, it's not like the entire country is going to go nuts because D&J spoke. Their interviews are not going to be scrutinized by the mass media. But is it really that hard to go on GMA and remind America about Lisa? Personally, I thought the interviewers in May were pretty sympathetic. There were no confrontational questions, whatsoever. Not only that, but not one media outlet looked into the debit card issue further. There was no "exposing" of D&J.
Do you really think the parents not talking is a better option? Especially in a case where if Lisa was kidnapped, there's a chance she's still alive? And why are the parents worried about slipping up if they are innocent?
eileenhawkeye
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The parents made all the media people go away when they stopped all interviews on November 1. Was the media suppose to just hang out for months until the parents decide to open their mouths again? The parents deliberately made the case fade out of the news. And what do you mean by "Is it because their feelings are hurt?" with 'feelings hurt' in quotes like you are mocking someone? There's no need to be passive aggressive.
RANCH
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Here's my take on Lisa's parents lack of media interviews.
Early on in this case Deborah Bradley said that LE claimed she failed a LDT and said that they knew she harmed Lisa. Obliviously LE hasn't confirmed that any of these statements are true. But it's known that LE will sometimes lie during interviews to try and get information from people. It's perfectly legal for LE to use such techniques and it doesn't surprise me if LE did say those things to DB. As the last known person to see Lisa, DB is obviously someone that LE would want to take a close look at.
Up until October 17th Lisa parents where doing a lot of media interviews. Who arrived on scene around that time? Joe Tacopina. It's my belief that he took control of all interviews that DB and JI would do, whether for LE or the media. I can certainly understand the reasons why he would want to limit and control their statements. Their unnamed suspects in the disappearance of their child.
Now here's where some questions come up. Do DB and JI have to follow their lawyers advice? No, they don't. They can talk all they want to whoever they wish. Would that be a good idea? I do think that there are some pitfalls. The media lives off of headlines. Getting Lisa's parents to "slip up" on even the smallest detail could be exploited into a nice juicy headline. Even here on this forum we have a thread devoted to find any discrepancies in the interviews that Deb and Jeremy give.
If DB and JI had ignored the advice of their lawyers and gone on as many media interviews as possible would that guarantee that the story's would be about finding Lisa? If the focus was on her parents and their actions, Lisa may get lost in the medias desire for that big headline and ratings.
So while I can understand why people say that they would be on TV every day shouting for the return of Lisa if they where in DB/JI's shoes, I doubt that the media would allow it to happen. JMO.
Early on in this case Deborah Bradley said that LE claimed she failed a LDT and said that they knew she harmed Lisa. Obliviously LE hasn't confirmed that any of these statements are true. But it's known that LE will sometimes lie during interviews to try and get information from people. It's perfectly legal for LE to use such techniques and it doesn't surprise me if LE did say those things to DB. As the last known person to see Lisa, DB is obviously someone that LE would want to take a close look at.
Up until October 17th Lisa parents where doing a lot of media interviews. Who arrived on scene around that time? Joe Tacopina. It's my belief that he took control of all interviews that DB and JI would do, whether for LE or the media. I can certainly understand the reasons why he would want to limit and control their statements. Their unnamed suspects in the disappearance of their child.
Now here's where some questions come up. Do DB and JI have to follow their lawyers advice? No, they don't. They can talk all they want to whoever they wish. Would that be a good idea? I do think that there are some pitfalls. The media lives off of headlines. Getting Lisa's parents to "slip up" on even the smallest detail could be exploited into a nice juicy headline. Even here on this forum we have a thread devoted to find any discrepancies in the interviews that Deb and Jeremy give.
If DB and JI had ignored the advice of their lawyers and gone on as many media interviews as possible would that guarantee that the story's would be about finding Lisa? If the focus was on her parents and their actions, Lisa may get lost in the medias desire for that big headline and ratings.
So while I can understand why people say that they would be on TV every day shouting for the return of Lisa if they where in DB/JI's shoes, I doubt that the media would allow it to happen. JMO.
I think parents are damned if they do, and damned if they don't to be honest. If they campaign in the media they are accused of seeking fame etc and are considered fair game for nastiness, if they try to keep a low profile and let the police and investigators get on with it they are accused of not doing enough to get the story out there, and of having something to hide.
Donjeta
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I expect there will be something when the anniversary of the disappearance arrives because it gives the story an angle but other than that I don't believe the case is really newsworthy if the only thing they have to report is that Lisa is still missing, the parents still insist someone took her and the police is still not saying much at all.
That's the other aspect of this that gets forgotten. If DB was making monthly plea's to find her daughter on the local news, I'm sure there would be more than a few who would think it was either attention seeker or they are getting paid for their appearances. I mean, I don't think that having the parents talking more to the media is going to change the minds of many since (and this my assumption) that aspect isn't the singular reason why they think the parents are guilty in the first place.
I brought up the 'feelings hurt' comment because a few posters have insinuated that the media is staying away from the parents for reasons such as that. I disagree. They are staying away because there is no story to tell. That's why there is no interest when they do a balloon release, that's why they didn't bother with the debit card story. Because none of those things advance the story from where it was in late October/early November. And I do not believe they are going to put DB on the air simply to say 'find my daughter'. If DB isn't going to talk about that night or details or anything like that, what's in it for the news agency then? They may do it at first, expecting more meat but after that they won't bother unless the parents come to them and say we want to talk about that night (which again, does not help find BL). Perhaps that know this already, which is why they don't bother to approach her anymore.
Donjeta
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Just a guess, since I didn't follow JBR reporting much either but from what I've gathered, the pageant angle and the bizarre details at the crime scene gave the press more to write about. Lisa is basically just a baby who has never done anything sensational and she hasn't been found so there are few details about the condition of her body, no ransom notes to speculate about, no handwriting samples to compare, no one has ever confessed... etc. . It's the difference between "this baby is missing and we don't know why" and "here's the autopsy report, oh no, garotted, sexually abused, who could have done that..." Lots more to write about the latter (although it must also be something in the air because some equally bizarre murder cases have gone with little media attention)