Earlier this week, MSNBC’s Joy Reid complained that the media’s interest in Gabby Petito’s disappearance — and the subsequent discovery of her body — was driven by and a product of “Missing White Woman Syndrome.”
NPR’s version wasn’t quite as inflammatory as Reid’s:
The media's focus on the Gabby Petito case has been frustrating for some people — who point out that the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women doesn't get nearly the same media attention.https://t.co/CAEI82oXrL
— NPR (@NPR) September 21, 2021
Washington Post national politics reporter Eugene Scott also highlighted the racial disparity when it comes to covering missing persons:
“In the same area that Gabby Petito disappeared, 710 indigenous people— mostly girls—disappeared between the years of 2011 and 2020 but their stories didn’t lead news cycles …” https://t.co/HJ01B6CsRK
— Eugene Scott (@Eugene_Scott) September 21, 2021
What all of the examples above have in common, other than having a demonstrable liberal bias, is that they all have a platform with which they could draw attention to missing people of color — and they’ve largely chosen not to.
Add CBS News to the list:
Gabby Petito's homicide in Wyoming has become a national story — but it's also shining a light on the hundreds of Indigenous people who went in the missing in the state and didn't get the same attention. @kelseyvlamis reports: pic.twitter.com/QWaFY6XwGD
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 22, 2021
And no list of shameless media outlets can be complete without CNN:
As cases like Gabby Petito's get national spotlight, Black and brown families with missing loved ones say their cases struggle to grab attention https://t.co/THnMNLDRtT
— CNN (@CNN) September 23, 2021
Here’s Chris Cuomo, too:
Let's see if the attention on #gabbypetito and the concern about neglect of others who are missing can generate sustained interest in finding folks. Another family is desperate. Will you take up the cause? pic.twitter.com/12XEys0wDq
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) September 23, 2021
And there are still countless other media outlets that are shocked — shocked! — that the media haven’t given missing persons of color the attention they deserve.
News station reporting on news not reporting? pic.twitter.com/wHXPDJ1Gao
— BitterQuitter (@BitterQuitter) September 23, 2021
— Laura (@laurakbarr) September 23, 2021
Uh, hello?
Same CNN front page. ¯_ (ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/apaqo1Oaui
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) September 23, 2021
Media, heal thyselves.
If only CNN had a platform to do something about that. https://t.co/yPEi83h1Nh
— Britt 🧂 (@TweetsByBritt) September 23, 2021
An hourlong broadcast makes up 4% of CNN's daily on-air time. They could spend an hour each day reporting on missing women around the country. Instead they now spend that on-air time complaining that such a thing doesn't exist.
— Noam "MF Blum" (@neontaster) September 23, 2021
This is such a bizarre form of performance art. Yes, of course, let's hope we can find this missing person. But this is so pathetically transparent on Fredo's part here. https://t.co/KQMs33Aea7
— John 'pro-norms' Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) September 23, 2021
I think I've now seen at least 20 media stories about how media gives too much attention to white women that are missing and not enough attention to other cases.
Do these outlets/reporters realize that nobody is keeping them from covering other cases? https://t.co/0EEb2LBAo8
— AG (@AGHamilton29) September 23, 2021
As @redsteeze points out, CBS News could have given any of those cases similar attention. Instead, they are using this woman's death and disappearance to complain about their own coverage choices.
— AG (@AGHamilton29) September 23, 2021
Just shameless. This woman’s death is not an opportunity for you to review how your organizations are really bad at their jobs.
No one is stopping CNN from covering those cases. If they want to fess up to being racist, do it apart from the Petito case. https://t.co/HlDAZp4sgI
— AG (@AGHamilton29) September 23, 2021
"Black and brown families with missing loved ones say their cases struggle to grab attention…" WHY though @CNN ?? Do a feature on why YOU and several other news outlets struggle to give these stories national attention. #BeBetter #DoBetter https://t.co/4sbjWK0cv0
— mia lyons (@meeyahmiyahme) September 23, 2021
A young woman's death is not your moment to earn virtue signaling points. Perhaps you cover these issues on your news show instead of shaming people for you not doing YOUR job. https://t.co/zoV8HmFPqA
— Erielle Davidson (@politicalelle) September 23, 2021
The media taking some initiative instead of just complaining about the media not taking initiative? So crazy, it just might work.
If sorry if this comes off in a bad light, but why is this topic only important to these media outlets when its "trending"?
If the issue was so important, which I 100% agree it is, why aren't these news outlets doing more about it?
"Be the change you want to see" https://t.co/QKthPqb4dl
— Steven Coburn (@scifyextremist) September 23, 2021
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) September 23, 2021
It’s easy if you try, media.
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