As the one previously responsible for MUFON media, and assisting the local MUFON chapter with Symposium press coverage, an advantage I had with the media is MUFON’s serious approach. While some in the UFO community criticize MUFON for not including more controversial subjects, such as channeling and alien communications, the serious scientific focus typically attracts more media friendly coverage. While other conferences give the media more unconventional quotes and subjects to poke fun at, science appears to be not as much of a laughing matter.

Barry Roth, MUFON Media Relations, with a camerwoman from the local CBS affiliate.

Jeff Peckman

Denver is also the place where they will be voting in November whether or not to create a Commission for Extraterrestrial Affairs. The founder of what he calls the Extra Campaign, Jeff Peckman, was present at the MUFON conference. His experiences with the local media have been hot and cold, either way he has gotten a substantial amount of attention himself. The focus of his campaign takes a step further than just determining whether or not there is an extraterrestrial presence, but to actually consider the ramifications of the fact of the presence. Of course this is a much more difficult concept for the public to swallow. It would be expected that such an initiative would be heavily ridiculed, and there is no lack of ridicule that Peckman faces, however he is a likeable guy who chooses his words carefully, and along with his great camera presence, the media has responded much more amenably than they probably would have with a more abrasive or confrontational approach.

Clifford Clift, MUFON Director

Either way, with a healthy presence of Ph.D.s and scientists, a lack of Star Trek uniforms and an abundance of jackets and ties, MUFON provides the perfect venue for representing this phenomena in the way that serious researchers would like it to be presented. I always feel good when I walk into a MUFON Symposium with a skeptic or a media person and they are initially taken aback. As portrayed in the movies, they expect to see a scene similar to a Sci-Fi convention; instead it looks more like a gathering for dentists.

Although MUFON gets accused of having too small a focus, I always think of the saying “Jack of all trades, master of none.”, and their focus is apparently successful. They are still the longest running, largest, and most prolific UFO research organization of them all. You will find in most serious UFO researcher’s biography some sort of affiliation, or position held with MUFON. There is also no lack of organizations that represent the other areas of this research. If you live in Denver, and things go well for Peckman, you may even find yourself on a city commission for Extraterrestrial Affairs. That would be pretty cool.

Articles from the Denver press:

UFO Sightings Explored Through Science

Denver hosts gathering for UFO researchers

UFO Symposium Draws Believers, Experts

10 June 1967, East Woonsocket, Rhode Island                                                                                                    12:00

On 10 June 1967, at about 12:00, noon, Mr. Harold A. Trudel, 29 years old, married and father of 3, was driving his car on West Wrentham Road, in the general vicinity of East Woonsocket, when he pulled over and parked near some hi-tension lines, waiting and watching for what he didn’t know. He had seen UFOs in this area on three previous occasions. He had a loaded camera in the car and he checked it over as he waited. In a matter of minutes a hi-domed disc-shaped metallic flying object approached the power lines from the West.

As the UFO hovered over the lines, Trudel, feeling some considerable degree of insecurity, crouched behind some nearby foliage and began snapping pictures. The object maneuvered about in the area, flitting from point to point like a bee, and Trudel changed his position several times, at times moving in closer to the power lines, but still trying to stay hidden. He did not want any possible occupants of the craft, if occupied, to become aware of his presence.

The UFO remained in sight and he continued to take photographs for about 5 minutes before it flashed off toward the North. Trudel had captured 7 photographs of the strange aerial visitor. The photographer had noted an “antenna” protruding from the central lower portion of the object, but upon later questioning, he said that he did not at any time, see the “antenna” come into contact with the power lines.

First UFO photo taken by Harold Trudel in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, June 10th, 1967. (image credit: Harold Trudel, August C. Roberts)

Second UFO photo taken by Harold Trudel in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, June 10th, 1967. (image credit: Harold Trudel, August C. Roberts)

Third UFO photo taken by Harold Trudel in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, June 10th, 1967. (image credit: Harold Trudel, August C. Roberts)

Forth UFO photo taken by Harold Trudel in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, June 10th, 1967. (image credit: Harold Trudel, August C. Roberts)

When the film was developed, it could clearly be seen that Trudel had obtained some extraordinary evidence indeed. It was generally felt, by those who examined the film at the time, that the photographs were authentic, and that the object itself resembled, to a great degree, the UFO that had been seen to “tap” power lines in Exeter, New Hampshire in the Fall of 1965.

Six days later, on the 16^th, Trudel saw and photographed the same or a similar object, except there was no “antenna” in evidence this time. On 11 July, at 17:10, in the same area, Trudel again saw and photographed the same object again hovering over the power lines. Twenty minutes later 19,000 consumers in the area suffered a complete POWER FAILURE!

First UFO photo taken by Harold Trudel in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, June 16th, 1967. (image credit: Harold Trudel, August C. Roberts)

Second UFO photo taken by Harold Trudel in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, June 16th, 1967. (image credit: Harold Trudel, August C. Roberts)