The Missing White Girl Syndrome and Racial Disparity in News Reporting

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The missing white girl syndrome and racial disparity in news reporting
The missing white girl syndrome relates to the disproportionate media attention given to missing peoples’ cases when young, attractive, white, middle, and upper-class children and girls, compared to other cases. Reports of missing persons of other races, class, gender, ethnicity, or age than young white girls receive less media attention. Yet, young black girls are among the most venerable since anyone who does not white girl receives less coverage sometimes their cases are ignored or only being briefly mentioned. The missing white girl syndrome partly explains why there are forgotten cases of missing persons who have diapered for long as there is minimal to no media coverage.
The topic of “missing white girl syndrome|” is relevant to undertow how media portrayal affects how the media prioritizes story narratives on missing girls and women. To contextualize the problem, I focus on different research works and reports on media representation of missing children and women. Liebler focuses on the media critiques that construct the Missing White Woman Syndrome considering how race, age, class, and appearance are used to frame stories on missing girls and women (2). Missing white girls and women receive more attention and media coverage than other groups. While this is partly because of those affected being media savvy, the media has an audience that is more sympathetic to missing white girls and victims. The media’s inattention of missing non-white girls is a concern as it seems that the media and the public only care when white girls disappear
Media framing of stories with white children and girls and women highlights influence the viewers to take a keen interest on the issue. Through media framing, the media presents information in ways that influence beliefs, perceptions and attitudes are structured in relation to language use. Language can be manipulated, and the media influences how people understand the issue of white girls and children disappearing by the way the information are presented. Interpretation is closely linked to perception, and as white girls and women and young women are presented as victims, the media presents the information, and there is wide coverage of missing white girls.
The media exclusively decides what gets the most attention, and crime reporters identify the victim, perpetrators, family members, and the environment. However, the media does informative context when victims are poor and people are of color, and there is increased media spotlight when the victims are powerful or upper-class families. The media shapes opinion and ha seven influenced policy change when missing victims are young middle-class girls. Young white women are shown as the victims of predators, especially when the perpetrators are male and black. There is favorability towards covering story narratives with whites, and these narratives do not necessarily reflect the country’s broader demographics.
Media coverage reinforces and reproduces reports that frame the missing white girl syndrome focusing on the victims as part of mainstream society and offenders as others. Liebler (551) argues that race, racism and class privilege are some of the issues that influence the disproportionate media coverage of missing white girls and women. People of color as depicted as the “other,” and the US media tends to ignore minority issues. Furthermore, media reporting reinforces social hierarchies where those who are marginalized do not get media sympathy and intervention (Liebler 551). Crime is overrepresented in the media and often the media outlets frame crime focusing on race and minority groups are associated with criminality and inferiority
Racial bias is one of the reasons why there is the underrepresentation of minority story narratives in news coverage. Still, the reporters, broadcasters, and writers do not readily admit bias influences their coverage. Missing black children are at times implicated in their own victimization, while there is a greater emphasis on the young white girls as being innocent. People who are considered innocent receive more empathy and sympathy in public, and there are more calls for collective action. There is a risk of abduction of anyone going missing regardless of their gender or race a person. However, as cases of missing black girls are underreported and underrepresented, it takes more time to find them (Moss 738). The low and lack of coverage of missing young black girls may affect the willingness to protect these girls and women.
Missing white young girls often represent lost innocence, while the children of color are often victimized and offense shown to be culpable for certain offenses and less innocent. Media response to abducted or missing white girls differs from that of other demographic groups and over-reporting of such reports. Including different narratives on missing persons would create a...