Assignment #2

Homework Assignment #2 – How the Journalist Unravels a Complex Story/Summary of Dugard Complaint

Diane Sawyer is a seasoned journalist and no stranger to telling a story. This was especially shown in the “Jaycee Dugard: In Her Own Words” documentary. Here, as viewers, we find out details of the abduction and life in captivity Dugard experienced.  The once free eleven year old was plucked from her normal life and forced into years of torture. After all of this, we now see Jaycee as a kind and normal-as-can-be young lady.

It seems having a journalist well-matched with the interviewee can bring the best results. Diane is a compatible person to ask questions to Jaycee. She has a soft tone and represents a motherly and kind type of individual. A male journalist with features similar to those Jaycee’s abductor and main abuser would not have produced the same successful interview results.

To help Jaycee open up and share her horrible experience, Diane used Jaycee’s own book as a guide for the interview. Diane referenced portions of the book as points for Jaycee to reflect or expand on. With this sensitive topic, Diane did a great job of getting the facts without digging too deep. The interview was very conversational and felt more like two friends having a chat and less like an actual interview.

Diane Sawyer is not shy and does not hold back. There are times throughout the interview where she asks questions like, “What’s the most haunting memory?”, “How did you stay alive?”, and “How are you still coping?”. Jaycee is champ and responds saying “You just do what you have to do to survive.” To unravel a complex story, the interviewer must cut to the chase. The questions that everyone is thinking must be asked.

Through it all, we learned that Dugard did not let Jaycee keep her identity. This was visited many times during the interview. It is a big piece of being release and becoming herself once again. The documentary ends with Jaycee stating strongly, “Let’s get one thing straight, my name is Jayce Dugard.”

Jaycee seemed to recall the details like it was yesterday with the help of the interviewer, even recounting the words spoken by her kidnapper right after snatching her up and throwing her in their car, the driver exclaimed “I can’t believe we got away with it.” Jaycee shared that memory of her assailant further by saying, “and then he started laughing.” With Diane Sawyer leading her, the interviewee was completely comfortable. sharing those pieces of her past.

“My family doesn’t have a lot of money, so they can’t afford to may the ransom.” is what Jaycee said to kidnappers at first. Her innocence was shown by thinking that could be the only reason the pair took her.

Starting with figuring out what happen and why that happened on each section of Jaycee’s incredible journey. Then, Diane would sprinkle in the questions along the lines of “how did that make you feel.”

The two were often sitting casually with each other. Rather than being seated across from each other, in the way an interrogation would be down, Diane was never above Jaycee’s eye level or talking down to her. Jaycee shared details like how moonlight makes her think of her mother. and how they would always sit on the porch and talk about the moon together. “I liked the full moon, and she like the crescent,” Jaycee said.

With careful questioning, the interviewer can get raw and emotional responses. In her own words from the documentary, Jaycee explained, “I don’t feel that I have this rage inside of me that’s building.” Diane questioned deeper with, “Why not? How can you not?” And, Jaycee answered, “I refuse to let him have that.”

 

 

SUMMARY OF DUGARD COMPLAINT:

Jaycee Dugard and her children are suing the United States of America for damages. Their reasoning is that their capture, living in captivity, and enduring abuse for years could have prevented it the United Stated Parole Commission had diligently followed the legal requirements.

Many instances of failure were outlined to show this capture could have been reduced in time, and even prevented, if the law would have been followed on many occasions by national law enforcement.Phillip Garrido was allowed to be free though numerous parole violations. Federal parole authorities were made aware of misconduct by Garrido, but they did not investigate like they should have.

The complaint lists specifically that “Defendants make flagrant errors in Garrido’s supervision resulting in Jaycee’s continued captivity and torture,” and further, they “ignored dozens of obvious warning signs.”

Warning signs ignored include note noting Garrido is harmful, that he kept doing drugs, had backyard sheds, and missed parole meeting requirements. The US Parole Commission failed to supervise him. The complaint states “The defendant’s negligence has damaged the plaintiffs.”

I could not find specific damages requested by the plaintiffs. They seem to be undefined.