Max Langlois, Director, Bolo Program
The campaigns we deploy in cooperation with police services to encourage citizens to be on the lookout for Canada’s most wanted can be difficult experiences for victims. Such campaigns aim to bring them justice, but they do revive tough memories.
Tamara ensures that victims know what to expect from the media coverage, listens to their concerns, and actively supports them in participating in whatever ways they are comfortable. From written statements to compelling videos, Tamara has created a novel, trauma-informed approach to giving victims a voice.
Working in concert with police services and us, Tamara connects with them with compassion, integrity and professionalism. She is an expert storyteller with a deep understanding of the justice sector, media industry, and victimization.
Mark Baxter, President, Police Association of Ontario
I left Tamara’s virtual media training feeling confident, prepared, and excited to forge new relationships with journalists. She is not only an expert communicator, but also someone with a deep understanding of the critical issues facing our members and police services more broadly. With her pre-existing insight into the first responder community, she was able to tailor training and messaging that was specific to our needs.
Beyond media training, Tamara is an invaluable resource for communications support through traumatic incidents. Her guidance, knowledge, and compassion have lightened the load during our darkest days.
Jo Herrera, Training Coordinator, Report for America
While working with Tamara, I was impressed seeing her steadfast dedication to the survivors she works with and how she honors their insight and experiences with journalists. Her session not only ran smoothly and provided engaging multimedia, but she was profoundly honest about the strengths and shortcomings local reporters have when covering traumatic events. I could tell how powerful that honesty was when reading feedback from session participants. Multiple reporters expressed it was one of the most impactful sessions we've hosted. It's clear there is a real need for reporters to talk about trauma so they can better their work and themselves. Tamara provided the perfect environment--both honest and understanding--and I look forward to working with her again.
Carmen Santoro, Past President, Ontario Professional Fire Fighter's Association
It’s not easy holding the attention of 200 fire fighters for two hours, but Tamara did just that with her engaging, informative, and practical media training. In addition to all the regular essentials when dealing with the media, Tamara provided critical, trauma-informed tips for supporting our members who are called upon to share their traumatic stories.
Ellen Campbell, CEO & Founder, Abuse Hurts
Tamara Cherry recently spoke as a keynote speaker at our knowledge transfer conference. From the pre-event meetings to the end of the event, Tamara was a pleasure to work with; she was professional and diligent. Tamara ensured that she understood our conference’s focus, making her content relevant and actionable. Her presentation was equally thought-provoking and easy to follow, and she kept the audience engaged. I would highly recommend her for future speaking engagements.
Sandy Biback, Founder, Meeting Professionals Against Human Trafficking
We first heard Tamara speaking on the radio about Human Trafficking. As founder of MPAHT, I immediately reached out to her & her fellow speaker asking if they would be willing to have a discussion at an upcoming MPAHT on-line presentation. An immediate yes! The discussion was very intense and very well received, helping MPAHT achieve its continual message of raising awareness in the hospitality world about human trafficking/slavery.
Since then, I’ve been following Tamara as she has written about what a journalist needs to contend with when following a story, many horrific, and the emotional and mental toll on the journalist. I’d never thought of this before—and now I do.
Thanks Tamara, for helping us with MPAHT and for opening my eyes into the emotional perils of being a journalist.
Arcane “AJ” Wilkinson was murdered in Walla Walla, Washington in January 2020. Pickup Communications supported his family following the arrest of the first suspect.
Aimee Wilkinson, homicide survivor: baton rouge, louisiana
“January 29, 2020, the day my world shattered. The media reported a body was found in the Columbian River in Washington. I received a text message asking if the body was my brother. Our family immediately began to watch in horror as the boats recovered this person. I recall seeing the coroner van, the boats and all the police. Interviews were done from the scene. Frantically, I called the detectives and no answer. I called the coroner and no information could be released at the time. My mind raced but the world stood still. This is trauma. When I close my eyes I see that video over and over.
The coroner called hours later to confirm the body found was that of my brother. Within minutes the story was front page news. We were not given a chance to process anything. The race was on to notify our family before they saw the information released to the news. Sadly, most saw it there fist. The person who later was arrested for my brother’s murder is the same person who texted me that day. The media gave him a window into what was happening. I experienced more trauma.
The pictures and information the media used were extremely upsetting to my family. We didn’t know our rights. I couldn’t even think clearly. The next day we were notified that my brother’s death was indeed a homicide. Again, the media ran with the story. I experienced more trauma. Unable to think clearly and in a state of fog the media began its nature of harassment. The calls wouldn’t stop. They emailed, texted and even FaceTimed me at work. This caused additional trauma. Every time the phone went off I would experience an anxiety attack, yet the phone needed to be on to deal with legal matters. I sat back in horror as my entire family received information from news outlets. My brother was depicted as a gang member who was on drugs. We were mocked and laughed at on social media as we tried so hard to process what was happening.
Finally an arrest is made! The day we so longed for was here. The excitement and relief. Our happiness was short lived. Again, the media was relentless. They attended the court proceedings and released information that even we had not yet been told. We weren’t prepared. We didn’t know how anything worked. We were once again helpless and experiencing more trauma. Family pictures were used without our permission. Interviews were given to lost relatives that we have not had communication with in years. The trauma of the media was almost as bad as losing my brother. I was suddenly placed on a platform where all of my peers had a front row seat to my shattered life. I was humiliated at work and on social media by this. My beautiful baby brother was on the front of a news article with only pieces of information. This also provided the accused killer and his family additional information to our family. They now know our names and where we live. Further trauma.
Tamara is an answered prayer. She contacted me within minutes of the media releasing the information after I posted what was happening on my support group’s page. She was extremely kind and explained everything I needed to know about how the media works. She explained my options and rights my family didn’t know we had. I was completely foggy and could only cry as I told her the things we were experiencing and upset about. I was very frantic and had no idea what to do. With the request from our family Tamara took over as our PR person (who knew we would ever need that). Tamara contacted the detectives with our permission and obtained a statement from them as to what information could/should be released to protect the case. She then prepared a media release based off of our statements/wishes and that of the detectives and sent it out. This changed EVERYTHING. The calls stopped almost immediately. The pictures of my brother were updated and the craziness of it all calmed down. In a moment in my life where I was drowning in despair, Tamara was and is my angel. Without her help I fear my family could not have coped any longer. Her services were needed. This was a desperate situation and Tamara was able to take control of it and give our family peace so we could process our loss privately. I am forever grateful for her knowledge and kindness.
Every single family who deals with a loss like this deserves someone like Tamara. With her services the information is not only more accurate but it lessens the trauma the family experiences. Her services were life changing for us. I only wish I had met her when this first happened. The less trauma caused, the less trauma victims have to heal from. Because of Tamara’s help the media circus could no longer hurt me. It was one less thing to deal with. I can never repay Tamara for how she has helped my family and myself.”
Dylan Gill was murdered in Toronto, Ontario in January 2017. Pickup Communications worked with his family as they prepared to mark the fourth birthday for Dylan since he was killed.
Barbara gill, homicide survivor: Toronto, Ontario
“I would like to thank Tamara Cherry for the support emotionally as well as professionally that she has given to me and my husband. I was so happy and emotional the way that she mentioned my son Dylan who was murdered on January 23, 2017 and the way it has affected us in our lives by the senseless killing of our child. I personally think that she was sent to us like an angel from God so that we were able to have our case heard in the public eye. I would recommend to anyone who is going through this tragedy to reach out to Tamara and she will make sure that your voice is heard. Again many thanks to Tamara for standing by us in the time of our pain.”
Amir Naraine was murdered in the Greater Toronto Area in September 2019. Pickup Communications worked with his family as they prepared to mark the first anniversary of his unsolved homicide.
adrienne naraine, homicide survivor: toronto, ontario
“It means a lot to have someone who knows the whole media situation. It just makes it easier for you to know how you want to go about dealing with the media. At times it's a lot easier dealing with somebody and (Pickup Communications) than dealing with news reporters directly…The services that you provided made my transition from my first day to my one year a lot easier to deal with.”
Kiesingar Gunn was murdered in Toronto in September 2016. Pickup Communications worked with his mother to make an appeal for information in his unsolved case as she prepared to mark what would have been his 30th birthday.
Evelyn Fox, homicide survivor: toronto, ontario
“My name is Evelyn Fox, I am the mother of Kiesingar Gunn. Kiesingar was murdered in 2016 outside of a club he had attended. Since that time, I have had many interactions with media as I have become an advocate against community violence as a way to honour my son.
In the immediate aftermath of my son’s homicide I met with three reporters that were very compassionate and refused to speak to various others because of their aggressive approach and disrespectful demeanour toward mine and my family’s grief and loss. I had reporters messaging me on all my social media accounts, through some of my friends, by text, calling and showing up at my door. It was extremely overwhelming, but the ones I did meet with, I appreciated their professionalism. Over time I have met various media personnel, a couple that I have become acquaintance or friends with.
I met Tamara Cherry on April 18, 2020. Tamara reached out to me and asked if she could interview me to bring awareness to my son’s story that has yet to be solved. Tamara was very kind and respectful. She asked appropriate questions and was respectful and mindful of the stigma that gun violence carries with a victim and their family. Tamara asked questions that allowed me to reflect on the beautiful memories I have of my son Kiesingar, but also allowed me to tell the complete story of how Kiesingar’s murder has devastated my whole family and his closest friends. When you speak to media, it is difficult to get a true reflection of the victim and the impact because of the edits that are done to your interview before it airs on their news station, but with Tamara, she put my entire interview across social media and made a press release to allow media to access the videos without having to meet with them all individually to get snippets of my story. I wish that this was done in the aftermath of Kiesingar’s homicide as it was a moment that I was in shock and overwhelmed and feel it could have benefitted me positively to allow me to process the tragedy of losing my son without media coming at me from all angles.
A child’s homicide is very traumatizing, and I know there are mothers out there that want to get their son’s story out, but are afraid of their child or themselves being judged, or are too devastated to even function enough to speak to anyone much less media. When the families are ready to speak, I would encourage them to speak to Tamara to allow their entire story to be heard.”