Media Coverage of our Meet-up?

[Stavia]

why doesn't she film some of us who brown bag lunch as Katie and Susan suggested? It shows more dedication than sitting at a fancy restaurant being served and will highlight individual food choices.

[SusanJ]

George, I get the sense we're mostly okay with doing this to spread the word, maybe just a little overprotective of our dinner hour when we get our only chance to talk amongst ourselves and the experts. Hence the suggestion to do it at lunch. Think that would work for her?

[Julie G]

How do you feel about Shelley attending the dinners without filming?

[Lucy5]

I like the brown bag lunch idea, but would also be fine with Shelley attending the dinners w/o filming.

[Stavia]

If Shelley just attends dinner and discreetly observes and chats like a member, absolutely yes is my vote. If her being there to get information becomes the focus of the dinner and compromises our own needs, then my vote is no.
Sorry to be so blunt but many of us are spending an awful lot of money to be with the group for a few precious days.
And thats not about me, its about many of our members.

[TheresaB]

Stavia, thank you for being so blunt. Your point is valid, so it should be expressed strongly. I support it. I suggest we invite her along letting her know up front what our concerns are and if she oversteps her welcome we will politely ask her not to return to another meal. I’m certainly willing to communicate that to her.

However, with that said, I don’t think it will be an issue. I only have one data point to refer to, but Shelly invited George and me to her house for a pot luck dinner about a month ago. It’s a group of about 15 who get together fairly regularly with the common interest of healthy eating/living. A social dinner, but one for the purpose of sharing diet/health information. George and I along with another couple we know were included as sort of “guest speakers.” Shelly has a genuine interest in hearing other’s health issues, strategies, and successes. She participated in the conversation, but by no means dominated the evening.

I sense she would enjoy our dinners, offer insightful dialogue, and wouldn’t try to make it about her needing to get a story. Her reporting on health science comes from her own genuine interest (and personal need), not because she’s being placed on assignment and needs to “scoop” the competition.

[Julie G]

Thank you, Stavia for sharing your perspective! Thanks also to Theresa for the background information. I shall invite Shelley to join us for one of our brown bag lunches where she will be allowed to film and to our dinners with clear boundaries set. I greatly appreciate her interest, but also want to protect the privacy and community needs of our group.

Unfortunately, this media attention is something we'll be forced to navigate as we move forward. Given the relative success of diet/lifestyle/supplement interventions, the media and the public-at-large has a great interest in our community. Members of Dr. Bredesen's team are making a documentary film and have also asked for permission to have a videographer unobtrusively cover our group's private dinner on the 10th. (She wouldn't be sitting up shots nor asking questions, etc.) I turned him down given some of the responses on this thread.

I've also been asked to do a segment with Maria Shriver on the Today Show and have reluctantly agreed, but I'm postponing it to a less hectic time. It's very exciting that people want to learn about our community and the strategies we're practicing, but our community's needs will always come first. For old-timers, the Maria Shriver segment is particularly gratifying considering that she's very vocally been disseminating the fact that Alzheimer's CAN'T be prevented...until now.

[TheBrain]

Julie, thanks for being willing to put yourself out there in a BIG way by doing a segment with Maria Shriver on the Today Show.

I believe it's a lost opportunity to turn down the request for a videographer to unobtrusively cover over our private dinner on the 10th. I haven't heard people say they are concerned about privacy but rather the intrusion of an "outsider" taking over our time together and our discussion. But perhaps you have heard this concern about privacy privately? And maybe people are concerned about feeling constrained by being videotaped even if they are pixilated?

I know I am just one voice in the group.

[Ruth]

Julie, wow, that is fantastic about the Today Show opportunity! Getting the news out to the mainstream public is so important. So many "regular" folks will see it. I am imagining an adult daughter sitting in a waiting room with the Today Show on, waiting with her mom for an appointment and hearing your story, for instance. And if you guys are able to help get a little other media coverage going during the conference without negatively impacting your meet-up, that would be so worthwhile as well, I think.

Not to sound paranoid, but I've been a bit worried lately that since the approach of Dr. Bredesen et al is probably not going to make a lot of money for Big Pharma, it won't ever be "allowed" to be a mainstream medical option. Sort of the way standard diabetes treatment apparently has to involve continuing to eat processed garbage in moderation and using lots of prescriptions to manage the diabetes because that's how Big Food and Big Pharma make the big bucks. So getting the message out through celebrities like Maria Shriver, into the local papers, through VOA, maybe a PBS pledge special featuring Dr. Bredesen, etc., seems crucial to me.

[Lucy5]

Julie, you are amazing. Being interviewed by Maria Shriver to further educate the public is huge (and from my perspective very courageous as well). Plus, given her contacts, who knows what positive impact she might have promoting our cause.

Re: Shelley attending the dinners, I agree w/Stavia's points and appreciate her directness. As for me - I will say it - I do have certain privacy concerns at this point in time. I understand those concerns can be addressed if needed, and am OK with that. I also appreciate the views of those in this community who favor higher profile advocacy for our cause and are more than willing to go public promoting it; I am so grateful for all of you who do this. There is NO doubt we all benefit from your activism & commitment.