March 3rd 1991: George Holliday and his wife were awoken by sirens and a helicopter flying low over his apartment complex. The plumber and amateur videographer reached for his brand new Sony Camcorder, went out to the balcony and hit record. What he didn’t realize was he was about to capture what was arguably the first viral video of our time. About 90 feet away, four white LAPD officers were beating a black man named Rodney King, stopped after a high-speed pursuit. 

At home, his 7 year old daughter Lora saw the brutal beating on television – with no clue it was her own father. Now 38 years old, Kim talks with Lora King about her childhood experience and the work she'd doing in her father's name. 

Follow and support Lora’s work at RodneyKing.org

To continue the conversation, follow Kim on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

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It was the day after Christmas 1996 in Boulder, Colorado. John and Patsy Ramsey woke early to get ready for a family trip to Michigan. John’s children from a previous marriage were en route to meet them. Their two youngest children were upstairs snuggled in their beds – or so they believed. 

John and Patsy Ramsey faced the unthinkable. But in the following days, and for the next 25 years, they’d also face scrutiny, accusations and death threats. And they’d be tried over and over again in the court of public opinion. 

To continue the conversation, follow Kim on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

Justice for JonBenet on Change.org

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Isn't it time to treat yourself? Make your own day and go to Mejuri.com. 

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Andy Ostroy’s wife, actress, director and screenwriter, Adrienne Shelly, was in the prime of her life. On the verge of making it big, married to her love, and mom to a beautiful daughter, she had it all at her fingertips. Until the first day of November in 2006, when everything changed. 

Follow Andy Ostroy on Twitter. 

Listen to The Backroom with Andy Ostroy

Visit AdrienneShellyFoundation.org

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Kelsi was 17 when she drove her sister Libby German and her friend Abby Williams to a local hiking trail. She never saw them again. The next day, Delphi, Indiana residents made an awful discovery. Their two bodies were found, turning the small Indiana town upside down. 

Follow Kelsi on Twitter.

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Kiki Doe was living on her own in Manhattan in 2004 when a stranger approached her at the coffee shop where she worked with an interesting proposition. But what Kiki didn’t realize is that this young woman who would become a friend, was actually part of a sophisticated network that would ultimately uncover child prostitution, sex trafficking and the sexual assault of countless young victims, all who’ve suffered at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. 

Links & Resources

Dr. Janice Stevenson

Lisa Bloom

National Sexual Assault Hotline (Available 24 hours) 1-800-656-4673

Turn Around
TurnAround's mission is to educate, empower and advocate for all people impacted by intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network

RAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual-assault organization and a national leader in online crisis intervention services. All services are free, confidential and available 24/7.

Joyful Heart Foundation

The mission of the Joyful Heart Foundation is to transform society's response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors' healing, and end this violence forever.

VictimConnect Resource Center

The VictimConnect Resource Center provides a place for crime victims to access information about their rights and options, resources, and referrals. In addition to web-based resources, a traditional telephone-based helpline and online chat are available.

8.55.4.VICTIM (855.484.2846)

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It was May 4, 2001. Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of  Emmy-winning actor Robert Blake, was mysteriously gunned down a block away from Vitello's restaurant in Studio City, California. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The media couldn’t get enough of yet another Hollywood murder case. But many were focused on what would become of Bonny and Robert’s 11-month-old daughter, Rose. That beautiful baby girl, who grew up somewhat hidden from the public, is now a 22-year-old young woman. She’s smart, insightful and she is very much ready to tell her story. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was the morning of January 6, 2021. Washington DC had been eerily quiet for several months, but this day felt different. Thousands of protesters, representing nearly every state in the nation, began to swarm the United States Capitol building as Congress was set to certify the 2020 presidential election results. Officer Harry Dunn was assigned to the east side of the Capitol, facing the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress.

What happened next would leave several dead, 140 plus injured, and lead to over 700 arrests, creating serious mental health trauma among law enforcement officers, and dividing a fractured nation even further apart. 

Follow Harry on Twitter @LibraDunn. 

To continue the conversation, follow Kim on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April 15, 2013: Marc Fucarile had no intention of going to the Boston Marathon, until a friend reached out. That proved to be a fateful decision.

Two homemade pressure cooker bombs stuffed in backpacks, detonated 14 seconds and just over 200 yards apart, killing three people, injuring hundreds and leading law enforcement on a four day manhunt. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6-year-old Jesse Lewis was one of 20 children and six adults killed in Sandy Hook, Connecticut in the deadliest mass shooting in an elementary school in U.S. history… the fourth deadliest U.S. mass shooting ever. You'd think losing her youngest son would be enough grief and pain for one mom to bear, but Alex Jones and his site InfoWars continued to harass, mock and put Scarlett Lewis and her family in danger; until she said enough is enough. Hear her story of healing, resilience and justice for Jesse and the other victims in Sandy Hook. 

To support Scarlett's work, visit ChooseLoveMovement.org

Follow Scarlett on Twitter

To continue the Media Circus conversation, follow Kim on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

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In 2013, the discovery of Cleveland’s ‘house of horrors’ dominated the headlines. Three women held captive in a home – neighbors completely unaware of the terror that was happening behind closed doors of the house on Seymour Avenue. Gina DeJesus was the youngest of the three, abducted from a busy street while walking home from school – nine years before. 

Follow and support Gina's work at ClevelandMissing.org

To continue the conversation, follow Kim on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The following episode contains graphic depiction of gun violence, including sounds of gunshots and may be harmful or traumatizing to some audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

Fred Guttenberg's daughter Jaime, a freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was murdered when a 19-year-old former student entered and opened fire on students and staff, killing 17, wounding another 17.

Since that February day in 2018, and in memory of his daughter Jaime and for all victims of gun violence, Fred has used his voice to advocate for gun safety legislation. In this very first episode of Media Circus, host Kim Goldman talks with Fred about his personal experience, trauma, grief, resiliency and healing.

Follow Fred on Twitter @fred_guttenberg

Links: 

Orange Ribbons for Jaime

Find the Helpers

NoNotoriety.com

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The following episode contains material that may be harmful or traumatizing to some audiences, including discussion of sexual assault and murder. Listener discretion is advised.

Amanda Knox was a 20-year-old American college student who had moved to Perugia, Italy in September 2007 for a study abroad program. Just five weeks later, one of her three roommates, British exchange student Meredith Kercher, was found murdered. What happened next would cause a media firestorm and land Amanda in prison for a crime she did not commit, her fate in the hands of the unpredictable Italian court system over the next several years,

Follow Amanda on Twitter and Instagram. 

Links:

For Amanda's podcast and other projects, visit KnoxRobinson.com.

Innocence Project

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The following episode contains graphic depiction of a violent hate crime and may be harmful or traumatizing to some audiences. Listener discretion is advised. 

Matthew Shepard was a 21-year-old, openly gay college student at the University of Wyoming when he met two young men in a bar. What happened next would become one of the most notorious anti-gay hate crimes in American history. Host Kim Goldman talks with Matthew's mother, Judy Shepard, who shares her family's traumatic story, the media's shocking behavior throughout their experience, and the incredible work she's been able to do through the Matthew Shepard Foundation. 

Follow Judy on Twitter and Instagram.

Links: 

PFLAG

GLAAD

Sponsor:

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Each episode of Media Circus will take an in-depth look at cases that rattled the world. Stories will include parent advocates like Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, who was a victim of one of the biggest hate crimes of our time, and Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in the Parkland school shooting. You’ll also hear directly from victims like Kiki Doe, one of the many whose lives were forever changed by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and Gina DeJesus, an Ohio girl who, at the age of 14-years-old, was kidnapped and held prisoner for 9 years, along with two other girls, before being rescued.

In this first episode, Kim Goldman, host, Victim Advocate and sister of Ron Goldman, who was murdered alongside Nicole Brown Simpson, shares her own personal story of loss, resilience, and purpose. Kim shares why creating this podcast and helping victims to tell their own stories is her personal mission. 

Follow Kim Goldman on Twitter, Instagram and her website kimberlygoldman.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Media Circus takes an inside look at private tragedy in the public eye, and explores how the media got it right, got it wrong, and got in the way. In each episode, Victim Advocate and Author Kim Goldman gives us a fresh, behind-the-scenes look into high profile crimes you think you know, told by the victims and their families who were thrust into the spotlight in their most vulnerable moments. Media Circus connects you with the real people beyond the media coverage to share their stories -- in their own words, on their own terms.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.