Now that CNN has covered OxyContin, how do we move the story forward?

I just want to thank you for this story because these drug's are destroying a lot of people that i love i cant under stand why are these so called doctors are not in jail there locking up the wrong people what a sick world we live in that these doctor's have a license to kill an make a lot of money doing it.

a good beginning may be to use what influence you may still have to get Current to return to what we knew best.

Looks like the Dope Man has a new face....Funny how we shut down illegal operations like dope dealling, or pimpin. Then we use that as a business model for corporate security. We replace the prostitutes with sweat shop workers, Marijuana, and Heroin for Oxycotin and Zannex.

im from akron, ohio. where this issue is all too real. i would love to preach about how these drugs are destroying people slowly day by day but i would be a hypocrite. i just dont want to see any friends die.

I've always wanted to be a journalist and when I discovered vanguard it made me want it even more. Thanks for that

current is much better

Oxy ultimately leads to Heroin or (black) in many cases, especially in California. One of my best friends Overdosed a couple weeks ago. we are all heartbroken. I also have Uncles and Cousins addicted too. Do another story on growing heroin in america please and affiliate oxycontin.

you are sofa king hot.

I may just be stating the obvious, but how about you find a different story? I don't mean to sound rude, but vanguard have always been at the forefront of news, getting the story before everyone else, and thats what makes you great! But if you just do another Oxycontin story, now that its big news, it might cheapen Vanguards reputation.

I am sure there are too many stories to count which need to be brought to the public eye, like Vanguard did with Oxy, so I say find anotherone

Ms. Van Zeller and the Vanguard Team are proven to be some of the best investigative journalists this world has seen. The tragedy is this ugly side of the industry that used to be journalism has become so pathetic. CNN is so desperate for a quality piece, they had this hack braud rip off Mariana Van Zeller's Vangaurd piece "Oxycontin Express". The evidence is staggering, from the screen shots, settings and scenes, and attempts of re-enacting the real moments that were captured in "OxyContin Express". The producers and others at CNN know what they have done. I also wouldn't pass them to believe that they're somehow untouchable. CNN and this mainstream media-industry does have many more viewers that subscribe to them, so it is out of pettiness to the novelty of journalism and getting the story out there that anyone would consider the disingenuous and blatant stealing of journalistic work to be acceptable. Vanguard's work is the epitome of investigative journalism. It is undeniably true.

Mariana Van Zeller, everyone on The Vangaurd team, the time is coming to do a piece on the nature of current "journalism" and the politics of it all. Our friends at CNN might feel a bit threatened. However, it this entire "Industry" and the world its running that needs to be examined and discussed. Humanity is racing towards mass disillusion as we plunge into this Age of Information. The world needs truth. I believe you to be one of the great hopes in this on-going battle. The Vanguard team could destroy all major "journalism" networks like CNN, swiftly! The ability to get the story out there online is your best resource and the key to success. This story must get told. Please, consider it.

Coming from a Current follower of four years, I would like to share my gratitude.
Ajil

More evidence that America is a third world country. The real question is why do these people turn to drugs? The answer: This is America.

the only thing the CNN piece had on Mariana's was the Steve Earle song.

Vanguard was much better. Makes u want to go Fla.

im working on it

The best journalism i have ever seen...

Show everything the mainstream media can't.

aaaand i was thinkin' this too: Who are current distributors of pharmaceutical drugs? What(if any) recent relations with drug companies and have there been? Is this a trend? Why is there a generic market trend towards generic brand companies and why? Is a certain company preferred over the other? Did people prefer one company over another?

Research the Government Health Care system and see if it could have/can change this situation.

What is the doctors full background, and how and when did he receive his licence. How does the state(government) regulate the doctor? [For example, medical license...could this get better/worse if we involve the government of hiring and managing doctors]

How long has this person been granted the deed of the land/building/company/house and who is the who is the mortgage holder? A policy the plot of land this health care professional works?

Would public healthcare make this situation better or worse? To who? For who?

What is the SES, race, gender, sex, of insurance policy holders. How did these people find this doctor?

I think CNN started plagiarizing Current when CNN start reading Twitter messages on air, like when Current was airing Tweets during the hack the debates specials during the 2008 presidential elections.

I'm really glad this story finally hit the mainstream,

To move this story forward I think we should take the steps the officers in your original hadn't. Focus on the extent the distributors and manufacturers are aware and involved in this. I would be utterly shocked if the manufacturers and distributors weren't wholly aware of their end users. When prescription drugs don't sell well they're marketed to increase sales right? What type of business would allow itself to thrive without at least examining how it's able to make such a profit? At the very least for the sake of the business' sustainability even if the product itself becomes outlawed.

Or maybe look at the science Purdue Pharma's used to justify not making it illegal. The psychotropic drug LSD's illegal (not that I think it should be legal) but the highly addictive and socially destructive drug Oxycodone isn't? Who's logic allows that?

Another way maybe you could look to move it forward is take a look at what's at stake. Those pill dispensaries, the owners, the distributors, the shipping companies, the lawyers and the manufacturers all must pay taxes. How would outlawing something like that affect Broward's revenue stream?

i didn't know CNN covered OxyContin, it's good that it's getting national attention, but above all, Current got to it first and did a damn good job :)

hopefully it will make people more aware of the issue and how bad it is, but that looks like such a rip-off!!! only differences are the bits in their fancy little studio.

nobody does it as in-depth as Vanguard, there should have been some type of credit to Current thanking them for their previous bit of light on the issue, "influencing" them to bring more coverage of it.

but i guess not.

It's like a low rent version of the original. They could have, like you said, done so much to further the story, but instead just used it as a script. Pathetic.

The most important part of this post is your attitude:

"I frankly think it would be petty of me in face of Florida’s problems and the overall tragic human cost of prescription drug abuse to quibble over the shots, style, substance, or even scarf that people are referencing."

Well said and well done piece.

lol!!! its copied right down to the oxy highway, they just interviewed a different hillbilly sheriff. they even went to the exact same clinic it looks like AND looked through the paper. it is the good ole USA, free country, so...oh well, what ya gonna do. cnn one was too choppy and poor editing. all over the place. good job current!

CNN-plagiarizing?

CNN - Commercial Nitwit News.

Stolen right down to the general physical appearance of the journalist. I'm surprised they didn't have Dr. Sanjay Gupta saving the life of an addict on the Situation Room desk.

They used to be one of the standards for news. Now they are just cheap theater. Between glitzy gimmicks and flashy graphics they lost me a long time ago. Try spending more on quality investigative journalism rather than bogus hologram technology.

It's ok if you'd like accuse them of ripping you off- as a filmmaker you have a right- but to claim that you are only interested in the plight of the people there is bullshit. If you only care about the peoples' interest why did you post this story. Man up and admit your pissed off at CNN.

Wow very similar, but your's was better!!!

oxycontin expresss >cnn rip off

and your more beautiful.

It sure pisses you off when people steal your hard work. All they'd have to do is place a citation - but no, they aren't even smart enough.
Same as kids with an empty cookie jar - they just assume mommy doesn't know. How can she know?

I liked the one that aired on current! Cnn #fail

You know I did hear a great quote once. "our opinions are formed by the opinions of others" Makes sense to me. Who had the 1st idea?

I know of many people who "doctor shop" so they can get even more "Oxy" than they are supposed to be taking.

yes they did. I hope they see this too. So that they know that we all know.
Cnn is like Vomit. It's regurgitated and it stinks.

First of all, you guys were the ones who brought attention to this matter. After the oxycotin express, I have seen many segments but all lack the dedication current took to cover the matter. So on that note my vote goest to you.

I understand what your saying by wishing they would have done more with their resources and you did take the high road on this but it would have been nice if at the end someone said something to the effect "This has been reported on by many journalist like CURRENT/Vanguard and the state of Florida still hasn't responded". Hell they could have interviewed you and asked for access to govt officials.

Lol, like you guys don't rip people off? I've had my ideas used with no credit!

at least you're prettier.

Vangaurd has seniority over CNN any time

It is beyond a doubt that CNN scripted their special from OxyContin Express, with all the obvious similarities. After hearing of this post, I played the CNN's special as background noise. Within minutes, I had a strong recollection of OxyCotin Express, so I glanced back to the screen and remembered those very images(insert different host and blurred-out faces).
Some sort of recognition would have been amiable. But with the could-of, should-of aside, Mariana, your response is extremely admirable and refreshing. The exposure of prescription abuse remains credited to Vanguard. CurrentTV - 1, CNN - 0.

Just say no to Dope! Uncle Sam's or Taliban's ...

It's too bad. People who have never even heard of current will never know how cheap CNN is being.

It's all in the name. Take credit that you were on the forefront of journalism covering this before many others caught wind. You did a great job by the way.

Definition of Vanguard from Merriam-Websters Dictionary

Pronunciation: \ˈvan-ˌgärd also ˈvaŋ-\
1 : the troops moving at the head of an army
2 : the forefront of an action or movement

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

It's a shame that they didn't just bring you on to talk about it. The similarities are real evident, though. Vanguard's journalists, journalism, and stories are way better anyway!

They copied the shit out of the OxyExpress. They should have aired currents version and gave credit.. Its just pathetic how they copied the style and format.

Wow this is really similar.

I know the feeling. It happens here all of the time. Anyway, your report was very well done. Haven't watched theirs yet.

I think I love her even more now :)

seems like they covered it well. but how many times have they brought it up since then?