November 19, 2015
By Robert Franklin, Esq, Member, National Board of Directors, National Parents Organization
Times are changing, and our message is resonating throughout the country like never before!
In years past, there were only occasional media successes by the Children’s Rights Council, by National Parents Organization, or by sporadic individual efforts. Then, beginning about six years ago under Glenn Sacks, National Parents Organization had many media placements, but too many were add-ons to sensational divorce stories about celebrities, partner murders, child abductions and the like.
Now, for the first time in the history of the family court reform movement, there is regular, recurring coverage of our ideas — our vision of a better life for children, and of justice for adults.
National Parents Organization received high-profile media attention this spring and fall from the nation’s top news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Daily News, and major state media, including The Boston Globe, the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Miami Herald, covered National Parents Organization news as well. In all, National Parents Organization was highlighted in more than 250 media placements within the past eight months, and the news spanned nearly two dozen U.S. states and reached across the globe to locations including Australia and New Zealand.
In April, a story in The Wall Street Journal headlined “Big Shift Pushed in Custody Disputes” kicked off the legislative season by quoting National Parents Organization National Board Member Don Hubin, PhD, on efforts to pass legislation supportive of shared parenting and parental equality in nearly 20 states. From there, National Parents Organization members’ efforts to pass child custody reform bills in numerous states received prominent news coverage. For example, in Massachusetts, National Parents Organization Founder and Board Chair Dr. Ned Holstein was a guest on several radio and TV news programs throughout the state, and his legislative efforts were a focal point of multiple Massachusetts newspaper stories. Plus, newspaper editorial boards in Massachusetts came out in support of the custody reform bill. Additionally, in Utah, National Parents Organization members’ involvement in the passage of legislation supportive of shared parenting were featured in the top print, radio, TV and online media sources throughout the state.
Father’s Day brought key media placements for National Parents Organization, with several media outlets throughout the nation publishing opinion pieces by National Parents Organization members. The Father’s Day messages held a common theme: honor Father’s Day with shared parenting.
This fall, the media highlights continued with national and state media showcasing National Parents Organization’s efforts to help combat societal problems – including the high divorce rate and youth violence – through efforts to make shared parenting and parental equality after divorce and separation the norm rather than the exception.
Here are the highlights of National Parents Organization’s media coverage since late March. Of course, there have been scores of additional media placements in addition to the highlights:
- The Wall Street Journal article “Big Shift Pushed in Custody Disputes,” published April 16, 2015, quoted Don Hubin, PhD, National Parents Organization National Board Member, in a story revealing that nearly 20 states were considering legislation supportive of shared parenting and parental equality following divorce or separation.
- The New York Daily News article “How To Tell Your Kids You’re Getting Divorced,” published July 2, 2015, featured Dr. Ned Holstein, National Parents Organization Founder and Board Chair, as a source on how families can best cope with divorce. Additionally, the story was picked up by numerous outlets, including MSN in Australia and New Zealand.
- The Boston Globe front page article “In Massachusetts and Elsewhere, a Push for Custody Reform,” published August 1, 2015, showcased Dr. Holstein’s efforts to pass child custody law reform in Massachusetts known as the Child-Centered Family Law.
- The Cincinnati Enquirer published an op-ed by Don Hubin, PhD, National Parents Organization, titled “Celebrate Fathers with Law Change,” on June 20, 2015. Hubin’s piece urged Ohio legislators to move forward with family court reform efforts.
- The Miami Herald article “Courts Must Work Toward a Shared Parenting Norm,” published October 29, 2015, quoted Dr. Holstein on the need to make shared parenting after divorce or separation the norm in order to address the tie between fatherless youth and violence.
- The Salt Lake Tribune published an op-ed by Dan Deuel of National Parents Organization of Utah, titled “Shared Parenting Law Puts Utah at Forefront of Progress,” on May 30, 2015. The piece praised Utah legislators for passing legislation supportive of shared parenting.
- The National Review published an op-ed by Dr. Holstein, titled “Reining in Our Nation’s Family Courts,” on May 21, 2015. Holstein’s piece called on state legislatures to pass family court reform.
- The Hill published an op-ed by National Parents Organization National Board Member Bruce Rogers, titled “Embrace Shared Parenting Reform This Father’s Day,” on June 18, 2015. The piece urged lawmakers nationwide to embrace proposals to move shared parenting and parental equality after divorce or separation forward.
- Boston.com article “I’m Out of Money and I’m Out of Hope: Rethinking Custody Battles,” published July 23, 2015, quoted Dr. Holstein on the importance of passing the Child-Centered Family Law in Massachusetts.
- NPR/WBUR radio news segment “Massachusetts Legislature Considers Controversial Changes to Child Custody Laws,” which aired August 6, 2015, interviewed Dr. Holstein on the Massachusetts Child-Centered Family Law proposal.
- Deseret News National as well as more than 100 newspapers throughout the nation, many of them Massachusetts publications, ran the article “Child Custody Reforms Push for Equal Time with Both Parents” between July 2, 2015, and July 6, 2015. The story quoted Dr. Holstein on the nationwide shared parenting movement.
- The Lowell Sun editorial board piece “Bring Child-Custody Laws Into 21st Century,” published September 10, 2015, encouraged Massachusetts legislators to support the Massachusetts Child-Centered Family Law proposal.
- The Springfield Republican/Masslive.com published an op-ed by Dr. Linda Nielsen, friend of National Parents Organization, titled “Research Supports Massachusetts Shared Parenting Legislation,” on October 7, 2015. Her piece urged Massachusetts legislators to move forward with the Child-Centered Family Law proposal.
- FOX News Radio brought Dr. Holstein on a news radio tour on July 28, 2015, where he interviewed with nine FOX News Radio affiliates throughout the nation on the ways in which families benefit from shared parenting after divorce or separation.
- The Detroit News published an op-ed by Robert Franklin, National Parents Organization National Board Member, titled, “Shared Parenting Should be the Default,” on May 17, 2015. Franklin’s piece stressed the need for family court reform.
- Washington Examiner published an op-ed by Christian Paasch of National Parents Organization of Virginia, titled “Celebrate Father’s Day with Shared Parenting,” on June 21, 2015. The piece in the Washington, D.C., outlet called for lawmakers to support efforts to reform child custody laws.