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| {{Globalize/USA}} | |||
| {{Original research}} | |||
| {{POV}} | |||
| {{journalism}} | |||
| '''Missing white woman syndrome''' (MWWS), also known as '''missing pretty girl syndrome,'', also known as "Georgia Tech", is a term used to describe disproportionate media coverage of ] female victims. The individual may be ], ]ed, captured, or even have faked her own abduction (see ]); the essential element of the syndrome is that her gender, race, prettiness, age, or social background is alleged to have extended the media coverage and public interest in her case. | |||
| There is a perception among the Western public that excessive news coverage is devoted to specific ] or ]ed ] or "]" ] and ]s, especially blondes, while cases involving missing men, non-caucasian women, older or unattractive caucasian women, or other news stories receive disproportionately less airtime. Reporting of these "missing white woman" stories may last for weeks or months and displace reporting on other current events. Examples of excessive focus on missing caucasian women can be found worldwide.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} However, it has been most prevalent in U.S. media, particularly on 24-hour cable news channels. | |||
| ==Outline of News Media Involvement== | |||
| * A typical case involves 24-hour cable ] providing regular daily coverage of any and all developments, accompanied by lengthy discussions about the meaning of such developments by the shows' hosts and their guests. (The most notable that currently feature these stories shows hosted by commentators ], ] and ], all featured on 24-hour cable news networks.) Such guests typically have a background in law and are invited by the host to freely speculate about evidence, suspects, and motive. Family pictures and video of the subject are shown frequently and repeatedly, and friends and family of the subject or a ] for them are frequently invited as guests and asked their opinions of the investigation and any evidence or suspects. As a story gains popularity, ] news outlets often pick up on it, many times leading to questionable or unofficial information being reported as hard news. Media critics suggest that this speculation often leads to a ]. | |||
| * Those involved in the investigation of the case (]s, ]s, etc.) are invited onto the shows and asked pointed and accusatory questions suggesting that they are incompetent or negligent. Sometimes, the ]s themselves are invited on the shows and asked similarly pointed and accusatory questions. | |||
| * If the case drags on for several weeks, the resulting public sympathy often prompts friends and family of the victim to establish a ] with detailed information about the case and a ], first to offer a reward, then, when the case is resolved, to provide ]s or aid to the families of the victims of similar tragedies. Eventually, the case is resolved by the police, the news media gradually lose interest, or else a new, more urgent story comes to dominate coverage. Critics of the media say that very few follow-up stories are done unless major new developments occur. | |||
| ===Legacy=== | |||
| Frequently, cases that seem to fit this profile generate enough public interest that legislators are pressured to enact new laws that are meant to protect would-be victims of violent crime. Often, such laws are named or nicknamed for the victim in question. This is often cited by critics as an example of a ]. | |||
| ==Examples== | |||
| {{cleanup-laundry}} | |||
| ===Mentioned by Media=== | |||
| Media critics consider the following cases (in reverse chronological order) to be examples of MWWS: | |||
| *] (], ]) - is an Overland Park, Kansas, teenager who may have been abducted. Additional surveillance video from Target appears to show someone forcing Kelsey into her car. On the afternoon of June 6, 2007, Kelsey was found murdered near Longview Lake, in Jackson County, Missouri, about a 20 minute drive from her home. | |||
| *] (], ]) - missing white, blonde British girl. A number of celebrities and businessmen have offered millions of pounds in reward money, but the story made headlines before the reward was offered. Madeleine has not been found (as of June 6, 2007). | |||
| *] (], ]) - married mother of two children aged 4 and 6 from ], ] who disappeared after an argument with her husband. She has since been found murdered and dismembered during a search of the Grant home. Her husband is the only suspect and was arrested and is facing murder charges. | |||
| *] (], ]) - 19-year-old college student from ], ] disappeared and was later found dead | |||
| *] (], ]) - was an undergraduate at the ] who disappeared walking home to her campus dormitory after a night out with friends. Her body was later found along a road in the neighboring town of ] on ]. ], a construction worker whose cell phone Gardner-Quinn had allegedly borrowed, was charged with her murder. The two were captured walking together on a jewelry store surveillance camera the night of her disappearance. | |||
| *] (], ]) - ] major who disappeared in ], reappearing four days later | |||
| *] (], ]) - 5-year-old from ] abducted from her neighborhood. The body of the child was found, and a neighbor was arrested for the murder. | |||
| *] (], ]) - missing 24-year-old, never reported to her job in ] | |||
| *] (], ]) - 17-year-old ] freshman disappeared and was later found dead; murderer convicted | |||
| *] (], ]) - 16-year-old American actress who disappeared from her home and was reported missing; found alive at friend's house two weeks later and declared to be a runaway who did not want to be found | |||
| *] (], ]) - 25-five year-old ] woman who was reported missing after failing to return home one night. Her body was later found in a nearby rural municipality, after a neighbour turned himself in for her murder. | |||
| *] (], ]) - still missing, last known location in Aruba: ''active investigation''. Has become especially controversial because of the great duration of media coverage. | |||
| *] (], ]) - found alive, brother killed; kidnapper captured | |||
| *] (], ]) - "The ]." Went out for a jog and did not return; there was much media speculation that her fiancé had killed her. Found she had staged her own kidnapping when she was discovered alive several days later and admitted what she had done. | |||
| *] (], ]) was a 20 year old ] blonde girl from ], ] who went missing in April 2005. After 4 months her boyfriend confessed the murder to the police. For (in greek). | |||
| *] (], ]) - found murdered; murderer convicted | |||
| *] (], ]) - found murdered; murderer captured; prompted '']'' | |||
| *] (], ]) - abducted from ] parking lot, found dead | |||
| *] (], ]) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted ''Lori's law'' proposal | |||
| *] (] ]) - disappeared after leaving work at ] in ], found dead in 2006; investigation underway | |||
| *] (], ]) - still missing, presumed dead; man arrested for murder | |||
| *] (], ]) - alleged kidnapping in ]; Seiler admitted faking the kidnapping several days later | |||
| *] (], ]) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted ''Dru's law'' | |||
| *] (]) - found murdered; suspect arrested two years later | |||
| *] (], ]) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted ] | |||
| *] & ] (], ]) - the two British, 10-years-old, school friends were eventually found murdered after a nationwide appeal for their return and wall-to-wall media coverage in the United Kingdom; the murdererer was convicted a year later | |||
| *] (], ]) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted ''Samantha's law'' proposal | |||
| *] (], ]) - found alive; kidnapper found incompetent to stand trial | |||
| *] (], ]) - reported missing from ]. Jennifer's body found ] ]. Husband convicted in 2004. | |||
| *] (], ]) - missing for several months; decomposed body found and foul play/murder is suspected; cold case | |||
| *] ], ] - missing for a year; decomposed body found. The case received enormous coverage in British and Japanese media, even prompting Prime Minister Tony Blair to mention the disappearance in his official visit to Japan. Mizuho Fukushima, a member of Japan's Upper House parliament noted that many Asian women had disappeared previously without note but that "it was news when a white girl disappeared." | |||
| *] (], ]) - found murdered; cold case until August 2006 arrest of suspect. Suspect was later exonerated and murder is now considered a cold case again. | |||
| *] (], ]) - found murdered; cold case; prompted establishment of ] | |||
| *] (], ]) - 27 year old ] news anchor disappeared on her way to work. She was presumed kidnapped. No suspects were tried and her body was never found. | |||
| *] (], ]) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted '']'' | |||
| *] (], ]) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted renewal of ] | |||
| *] (], ]) - kidnapper confessed sexual assault and murder, but refused to tell where he buried the body | |||
| *] (], ]) - 25 year old ] ]. Never found: declared legally dead in ]. Featured heavily in British media. | |||
| *] (], ]) - kidnapped by the ] (SLA). On ], ], she was photographed wielding an assault rifle while robbing the Sunset branch of the Hibernia Bank. Later communications from her were issued under the pseudonym '''Tania''' and revealed that she was committed to the goals of the SLA. A warrant was issued for her arrest and in September 1975, she was arrested in an apartment with other SLA members. | |||
| *] (], ]) - William Hickman kidnapped and murdered 12-year-old Marian Parker, the daughter of a Los Angeles banker. A few days after being paid a small ransom, Hickman was arrested and tried. On ], ], he became the first American kidnapper to be executed for his crime. | |||
| ===Examples of alleged bias in missing person cases=== | |||
| Critics contend the following examples of missing people received disproportionately little coverage compared to MWWS cases: | |||
| *] (], ]) - a ] male exchange student. Japanese media cited low coverage in the U.S., comparing it with ], a student who went missing which sparked wide media coverage and police hunt (she later admitted to staging a hoax), as an example of MWWS. | |||
| *] (], ]) - 18-year-old woman of ]/] heritage from Philadelphia area whose case became prominent because of an organized Internet ] to counter missing white woman syndrome. On ], ], the body of Figueroa, who was pregnant, was found in ], ]. Charges are pending against Stephen Poaches, the boyfriend of Figueroa. Thanks to her family and friends' pressure, the major networks did aid in breaking the story. | |||
| *] (], ]) - 48-year-old male of ] descent and boyfriend of actress ]. Conflicting stories have been reported regarding alleged sightings in Mexico and the possibility that he faked his disappearance to avoid a legal battle with his ex-wife. | |||
| *] (], ]) - 13-year-old Hispanic-American girl who disappeared in Norcross, Georgia. | |||
| *] (], ]) - Valdez travelled to her school in Hyrum, Utah, to attend a class field trip. Between the time she arrived at the school and the time the students boarded a bus to take them on the field trip, Valdez disappeared. It is believed that Cesar Sanchez, with whom Valdez had an ongoing relationship, may have abducted her. On ], ], the First Judicial District Court, Cache County, Utah, issued an arrest warrant for Sanchez charging him with kidnapping. On ], ], a federal arrest warrant was issued for Sanchez charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. She has been listed as "recovered" on the FBI web site but has received no media attention. | |||
| *] (], ]) - 24-year-old black woman who went missing from ], setting off a nearly 15-month search during which time the young woman became a symbol of the lack of national media attention devoted to cases involving missing ]. Huston's body was eventually found, and a man has been sentenced to life in prison after confessing to her murder. | |||
| *] (], ]) - 5-year-old black female who went missing after her stepfather dropped her off to school at High Mount Elementary in ]. Her lack of media coverage caused a local controversy, especially within Milwaukee's black community, as Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped only a few weeks later. Patterson still has yet to be found. | |||
| *] (], ]) - 25-year-old woman from ], Indiana reported missing after leaving her mother's house. There were reports of two men harassing her at a local laundromat earlier, but no specific leads about the disappearance. Her vehicle was found in ], Ohio. After much speculation, many feel that her case is becoming a cold case. | |||
| *] (], ]) - 25-year-old male, black college student. According to ], "Sanders’ case received scant notice outside his small hometown of Rembert, S.C., even though he was a high-achieving student at the University of South Carolina who worked as a technician in the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, and despite his father’s prominence as a county magistrate. Meanwhile, the disappearance of a white, female USC student with a similar academic record, ], has continued to receive national attention more than a dozen years after she vanished in 1992." | |||
| *100+ missing women in ], ], and environs. Critics charge that the authorities have been slow in investigating because many of the missing are Aboriginal women, drug users, or sex-trade workers. Media attention has grown recently due to the investigation and trial of ], charged with the murders of 27 women and believed to be responsible for more. See ; . See also dedicated to the missing Aboriginal women in the Vancouver area, and , also focused on Vancouver. | |||
| ==MWWS in Iraq War== | |||
| Critics of MWWS also point to the example of the media coverage of ] versus the coverage of ]. | |||
| *] (], ]) - Captured in Iraq War. Cited as an example of Damsel in Distress Syndrome. Rescued by U.S. Forces (], ]) | |||
| *] (], ]) - the first black female prisoner of war in the ]. She and ] were taken captive during the same ambush, but Johnson received very little media attention in comparison to Lynch. Rescued by U.S. Forces ], ]. | |||
| Media critics suggest that Lynch's story was promoted because Lynch was a more palatable and identifiable figure to promote: a young, blonde white woman. Johnson, on the other hand, was a black woman who was a single mother. | |||
| ==Criticisms of MWWS in the Media== | |||
| * On ] ], the collaborative website ] posted an highly critical of the media coverage of the investigation into the ] disappearance. The editorial accused the mass media of subtle racism for covering the Holloway case but ignoring the case of ], a missing Hispanic girl. It was also critical of the great expense and time devoted to the search for a single missing person despite many other issues of concern the media could have covered instead. The openly combative and harsh tone of the editorial sparked hundreds of angry responses, including legal threats directed towards Kuro5hin's staff. | |||
| ''(For more discussion and debate of MWWS in the media, please see the news stories in the "External links" section of this article.)'' | |||
| ==Parodies of MWWS== | |||
| *In 2004, American television's '']'' released '']'', which among other political topics parodied MWWS by offering a fictional formula regarding media coverage of a kidnapping. The equation went: <math>Minutes of Coverage=Family Income*(Abductee Cuteness/Skin Color)^2+Length of Abduction*Media Savvy of Grieving Parents^3</math> | |||
| *In 1997, ] published an article titled lampooning the public's lack of concern in cases where the victim happens to be less than pretty. It also parodied the JonBenét Ramsey investigation by juxtaposing the death with a child beauty pageant. | |||
| *The Onion also published in 2002 . | |||
| *In the film '']'', Cindy Campbell, who is being stalked by the killer, sends an email to police with the message "White woman in trouble!". Her house is immediately surrounded by several police cars. | |||
| *The show-inside-a-show on '']'' did a parody of ] where she is furiously looking for a missing white woman's cell phone. | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| * - "Some Say Missing Minority Cases Ignored" | |||
| * - "Spotlight skips cases of missing minorities" | |||
| * - "If you’re missing, it helps to be young, white and female" | |||
| * - "Media should stop obsessing on missing white women" | |||
| * - "Hold The 'Missing White Woman' Stories, Please" | |||
| * - "A Missing Answer" | |||
| * - "Two 17 year old girls from Richmond, Va. One white, one black. Police deny bias." | |||
| * - Head of London's police says murders in minority communities appear "not to interest the mainstream media" | |||
| * – Journalist comments on Police Commissioner’s remarks | |||
| * - Prof. of Journalism on male/female contrast | |||
| * - Eugene Robinson, '(white) women we love' | |||
| * - MWWS was the subject of an award-winning feature in ], called "Have You Seen Her?" In this article, several missing ] women, most notably ] of ], were profiled by journalist Kristal Brent Zook. | |||
| * - Michelle Malkin, Jun 11, 2005. This is a blog, but at present is the earliest citation of "missing pretty girl syndrome". | |||
| == See also == | |||
| *] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 04:37, 7 June 2007
delete this crap