I asked Dr. Stricker if I could get him on Oprah, would he go. He said that he had already thought of that, and yes, he would. So, pull on your resourses! Think of all the angles! Thank her, tell your story, give statistics, explain the controversy of treatment and diagnosis, focus on prevention...... Use different e-mail areas that reach different departments... I wrote a letter, and have not had a response. HOWEVER my teenage daughter wrote a letter and got a response the same day. I guess it helps to start out 'my name is Hannah, and I am 15.
Oprah is in the business to make money. She makes money/ratings when she discusses hot topics that are of interest to people. Make it a HOT TOPIC!
I truly believe that she also has a big heart.
MARKETING: DRUG COMPANIES ADVERTIZE TO THE PUBLIC MORE THEN THEY DO TO DOCTORS! THEN PATIENTS ASK THEIR DOCTORS ABOUT MEDICINES.
LET'S PUT PRESSURE ON BY PUTTING THE WORD OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
Having a Lyme Disease program on Oprah would be great 'marketing'...... And for free!
More letters please!
Posted by Jenne03 (Member # 10482) on :
I definitely think that is a great idea..i sent a letter to Oprah myself.
Posted by mjo (Member # 7876) on :
I, too, have contacted Oprah several times through different departments. No response. I understand about 5 years ago she had a Lyme show on that was good. Must have been before she had paid mainstream docs advising her on show content. Now that time Lymies are called a "cult" it might be hard to get on the show. Wonder who started that?
Whoopi Goldberg is supposed to be a Lyme supporter, she may have been on that show with Oprah. Maybe one could get to Oprah through Whoopi?
Also, anyone remember Megan's Lyme study? It was a hot topic here for a while. She was what only 16? Or 14? And won a national science award for her paper (which was way over my head). Maybe coming from her people might listen (through Oprah) and believe?
We need believers who aren't sick.
Posted by Areneli (Member # 6740) on :
When I was still healthy and was employed full time, the company I worked for contacted a PR company in order to market our product. To our amazement we found out that the small PR Company had amazing contacts with celebrities all over US reaching many Hollywood stars. Furthermore, the company fee was quite moderate - just a few thousands dollars.
Posted by kumba (Member # 7733) on :
Maybe if a celebrity like Hall and Oates (dont know which one has lyme) contacted ohprah she might be more inclined to listen?? I dont know... I figure if she could have a controversial figure like Bill O'reilly on the show to promote his book...she might be willing to air this controversial issue...but we are not Mr. O'reilly.
Posted by TNhayley (Member # 8249) on :
I'd say very little gets through to Oprah from her staff, the ones reading the mail, filtering, coming up w/ ideas for topics, etc.
Another angle might be to send the canine/Lyme map and the human/Lyme map ... as she is such a dog lover. Yet another way to make our point.
Hopefully people will get good footage of the rally/protest, that seems like it would be helpful as well. TV, after all, is a visual medium, so images are powerful.
Seems like oftentimes many of her shows follow on the heels of a current event ... like a bestselling book (hello Amy Tan!!!), a major news story, or a DOCUMENTARY. Widespread appeal, things the general population can relate to.
Just some thoughts. We need to be logical as well as passionate. We need to be articulate, and well, thats kinda difficult for many of us.
Hayley
Posted by earthdeva (Member # 10584) on :
Hi, all,
It would be powerful to see the filmmaker who is making a documentary on LD join in on that O show. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, go to Lymediseasefilm.com.
I think the movie is still in post-production, but it promises to be a very moving and intense documentary. I just wish it would come out soon. The timing couldn't be better.
xo
Posted by docjen (Member # 7510) on :
I appreciate this effort, and I myself have put in a letter to Oprah in the past. I just want to add that over the last several years with various health interests and message boards I have visited, the issue of getting on Oprah seems to appear on every one. I don't have the opportunity to watch the show anymore, but I know that none of those efforts turned into a show. It has been my experience that Oprah is doing a lot more "fluff" these days (like "favorite things" etc).
I would encourage people to target TV shows that highlight health issues more than Oprah does. For example, Sanjay Gupta does a health show on CNN every week. Dr. Mehmet Oz I believe also has a health show. The Today Show does health spots. Even Dateline NBC does health-related shows. They will be looking for health-related material to cover on these shows, and therefore our efforts may have a greater chance of paying off!
Just my 2 cents....
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
quote:Originally posted by mjo:
Also, anyone remember Megan's Lyme study? It was a hot topic here for a while. She was what only 16? Or 14?
And won a national science award for her paper (which was way over my head). Maybe coming from her people might listen (through Oprah) and believe?
We need believers who aren't sick.
You bet I do; had some lovely PMs from Megan! I tried to get her/local sr. hooked up since other gal wrote a paper about LYME disease too, but it fell through! Posted by LisaS (Member # 10581) on :
Im sure Oprah gets millions of emails a day, and one subject just blends with the next. What if we all picked a certain time and all emailed her at once. Like pick a two hour period or even a certain day on one particular day and everyone send in their story. Or has this been tried before? Another person who is moving up in TV and likes to take on causes is Ellen. Ive emailed her and havent recieved anything back but again if many people did all at once, I think it would get more attention.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
Lisa, I'm pretty sure that's been tried. If it wasn't Oprah; it was another show.
I tried Larry King and had others sending for 2-3 months; once a month; NO luck or acknowledgement!
But I do believe in KEEP TRYING! Hit them at their MOMENT OF WEAKNESS! Posted by LisaS (Member # 10581) on :
Ok what about targeting a popular tv show like Grey's Anatomy or House? Im sure everythings been tried, its so frustrating but all we can do is keep trying. AT least we all have eachother. I dont know what Id do without these message boards. I think about all the poeple who dont have computers. They dont even know the controversy behind Lyme, or how would they ever find a Dr. ?
Posted by lilysue (Member # 8937) on :
Hey Everyone! I haven't logged on to this site in quite a while and I was so glad to hear about the rally.
I almost burst into tears when my doctor told me about these new guidelines. I could tell he had something important to tell me, but I was hoping
for once it was really good news. I would like to try to come to the protest, but it will depend on
my hope. Thank you for planning this and for all the work you have put in. Lets pray that they will finally hear us and understand how big this
problem is. It's bad enough being sick like this for years, but then having either you or a loved one in debt because of your treatment is just too
much to bear sometimes.
I too have often thought about e-mailing oprah to do a show on this topic. I also just watched the trailer for the lyme disease documentary. I was
thinking if she were to receive a copy when it come out maybe she would respond. Just the trailer was very captivating, I don't see how she could
ignore something like that. Maybe just the movie itself will create a buzz admist the media as a whole.
Hope everyone out there has a Happy Thanksgiving!! Give thanks even for the little things, small blessings are still blessings.
Posted by von (Member # 8333) on :
Good Idea decjen! (sorry if I spelled name wrong.... I said it a bunch of times in my head before trying to post...... but I never can remember much!) I found e-mail and contact info for your Ideas:
Best bet is to send letters to the celb's publicist requesting their involvemt in the cause. More apt to get a reply this way.
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
don't want to be the bearer of bad news but we have tried so long to contact her about this and nothing...the young girl with the science project is a new angle...maybe she and hannah can get together...
i think oprah probably learned her lesson about controversy with the beef thing and is very careful now.
rosy's daughter had it...but i guess she got better with one dose or something
and michael fox - so sure it's parkinsons and not lyme...
these things don't help
good luck---hope it works this time
hmmmm...maybe she'd do a show on fibromyalgia and somehow we could sneak in about the fibro patients getting better with abx
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