Being Interviewed About UFOs
By
Jason Leigh
My very first interview (after shooting the broad-daylight video of the June 11, 1995 UFO) was at my home town daily newspaper, The Times/Review. The reporter, Lori Elmore-Moon, audio taped the interview, as we sat in a conference room where I was showing her the video footage. Mrs. Moon's husband is a pilot, so she has seen just about every kind of airplane and aircraft known to man, as well as taking professional 35mm pictures of airplanes at Air Shows. She was the Editor's best choice to interview me, given to her mentioned background.
She got all of the facts correct when the Front Page article came out, mostly due to the fact that she tape-recorded the interview. There were some facts that were not brought-out in the article, possibly due to there being only so much room within the very gracious, . . two page article.
I have insisted that every reporter mention the important fact that I am a former TV news photographer/writer/director. I left TV news in the fall of 1985 to go to work for NASA in the top security level of "Final Testing," where I was seriously injured and would spend the following eight years of my life in traction, with four major spinal-fusion operations. I am presently, a writer and medically retired, disabled Veteran.
Twelve newspaper interviews later: I was contacted by "Sightings," "Unsolved Mysteries" and "The Gordon Elliott Show" (in New York City), with interviews pending this fall and winter of 1996.
I was flown to New York City by The Gordon Elliott Show on October 9 & 10, 1996, where, backstage, the producers discussed how the show would go and when I would be brought out on-stage. I made a point of requesting that they show the entire video of just over two minutes, because of the birds flying by the camcorder lens, the UFO shooting into a darkened cloud, then exiting this same cloud from a complete 180 degree about-face from the point of entry, because, it was so very convincing to see. They didn't. I supposed that time would not allow it, in their defense, since they treated me so well; like an American Beatle from "A Hard Day's Night." Thank You, CBS Inc., New York City; Manhattan.
As a quick result of that worldwide broadcast, I was interviewed today (10-31-96) by the FOX-Network News. We revisited the sight out at Lake Pat Cleburne, as it all came back to me, . . right then and there.
The news reporter, Mr. Jeff Crilley, at first wanted me to, "stage," the interview by standing outside of my Jeep Wagoneer and acting like some Hollywood cameraman shooting a science-fiction film. I said, "No way. I've been honest about all of this since day one, and I was sitting inside of my car shooting the footage: not jumpin' around outside." Once I insisted that we do the otherwise, "re-enactment" from me sitting inside of my Jeep behind the wheel, he agreed, and we began the news story. But he kept interrupting me and wanting me to say this or that, which was out-of-sync from what had actually happened. I became nervous that the truth would not be shown. 'Desperation to be believed--all over again . . .
Jeff Crilley Jason Leigh FOX 4 photographer
On Friday, November 1, 1996 (All Saints Day), FOX's Channel 4 out of Dallas ran the interview, which went nationwide on the FOX Network News, and here in north Texas. They ran four promos an hour, all day long until the evening news, then they ran three promos about the, "UFO over Cleburne," story, "coming up," during the news hour itself. Notwithstanding the 'B-Movie' twist, admittedly, . . the interview came out very well done. Thanks Jeff.
Of course, I was disappointed that they edited-out my statements concerning the reports from the U.S. Space Command and the McDonald Observatory, that there were no meteorites, space debris, nor satellites falling to earth, in or around the Cleburne, Texas area on the afternoon of June the 11th, 1995. 'Too bad.
That was my last "dog and pony" interview. If there are to be any other interviews on this subject in the future, the reporters and news directors are going to have to ensure me, big-time, that we will discuss the more objective, serious and factual information concerning my videos of UFOs. Period.
"Sightings" and "Unsolved Mysteries" are certainly going to approach this topic more seriously, because they have their own respective audiences, however, the evening news has its audience as well, but the news is otherwise, supposed to be, "serious?"
The Roswell Daily Record (in Roswell, NM), ran a story in their Wednesday, October 30, 1996 newspaper, as was written by Ms. Julie Brown, wherein my video and The Gordon Elliott Show appearance were mentioned. This came after I had written a friendly note to the editor, mentioning the Elliott Show and my forthcoming interviews on "Sightings" and "Unsolved Mysteries," and would they kindly watch the show. 'Just a friendly letter to the new and many friends we had met during our trip to Roswell for my presentations at the UFO Enigma Museum. The Roswell Daily Record takes UFO videos seriously, especially when they are confirmed by creditable experts, and most assuredly when the video is completely and totally convincing.
The major north Texas newspapers are another story: despite being contacted and me contacting them; they never made mention of the UFO videos. One editor told me that he was interested in UFOs, while the chief editor promised that a reporter would call me. Neither the Fort Worth Star Telegram, nor The Dallas Morning News, would mention a single word . . . This came after I had supplied them with copies of the undisputed, creditable investigations of my 'Official UFO Report,' other newspaper articles, and the additional TV-news coverage, which had soon taken flight (so to speak).
In closing: There are many personal and emotional benefits to be gleaned from being interviewed by the seriously open-minded-media regarding UFO videos, pictures, or sightings in general, but the "dog and pony" interviews will leave you with a vague sense of depressive-disbelief. But that, too, is to be expected, until such time as we all take this topic more seriously.
Naturally, we should all expect that interviews never come out as we would want them to, because of "time-frames," or other more important news, or for any other reason, which is left up to the reporters, editors and producers. That's their job. You can't have it.
So, you may want to give it some serious thoughts of your own before you 'go public' with a story of a UFO sighting.
I cannot wait to see what "Sightings" and "Unsolved Mysteries" will do with my video and story relating to that amazing day of June 11, 1995, when a spacecraft from another world paid a visit to a small town in Texas, and forever changed the lives of so many people--regardless of their personal beliefs--including the life of the man behind the camcorder lens. But that's, yet another story . . .
Peace in numbers--Jason
X x X
(11-4-96)
Jason Leigh Gordon Elliott Dannion Brinkley
