Oprah Follows Up on 7-Year-Old Schizophrenic

KobreGuide originally showcased the Los Angeles Times' heartbreaking video story, A Place for Jani, about a family struggling with the extreme challenges of raising a spirited daughter, then 6, with severe schizophrenia.

In July, we noted that the L.A. Times had updated the story, but lamented that it was only a text report, and not a followup video.

Oprah Winfrey picked up on the story and traveled to California to meet Jani Schofield, now 7, and her family for a remarkable show that aired this week, which you can now view online.

LINKS:

* 'Jani' on KobreGuide

* 'Jani' on KobreChannel

* Jani on 'Oprah'

Video Stories Deserve Updates

We've often noted how unfortunately rare it is that newspapers follow up on their hard-hitting video stories.

The media has a notoriously short memory, and there are so many great video stories that capture a situation so well that they leave you wondering what will happen next.

Such was the case with the Los Angeles Times' heartbreaking video about Jani Schofield, a 6-year-old schizophrenic, and her beleaguered but devoted parents. We showcased "A Place for Jani" on the KobreGuide's Los Angeles Times channel.

Today the newspaper paper laudably provided an update, "For Jani Schofield, some progress -- and major setbacks."

It is not a video, as we might have hoped, but a text article. Alas, the news is not good -- and so, under the circumstances, we can understand why it might have been more difficult to have sought and gained video access.

Naturally we hope the situation takes a turn for the better, for Jani and her family, and look forward to seeing a video update with some hopeful news.