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'Missing white woman syndrome (MWWS), also known as missing pretty girl syndrome, is a term used to describe disproportionate media coverage of white female victims. The individual may be missing, murdered, captured, or even have faked her own abduction (see Mentioned by Media); 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 missing or murdered caucasian or "white" women and girls, 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. 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 news media 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 Nancy Grace, Greta Van Susteren and Rita Cosby, 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 spokesperson for them are frequently invited as guests and asked their opinions of the investigation and any evidence or suspects. As a story gains popularity, tabloid 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 false consensus effect.
• Those involved in the investigation of the case (detectives, prosecutors, etc.) are invited onto the shows and asked pointed and accusatory questions suggesting that they are incompetent or negligent. Sometimes, the suspects 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 website with detailed information about the case and a charity foundation, first to offer a reward, then, when the case is resolved, to provide scholarships 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 deviancy amplification spiral.

Examples

This article may contain unverified or indiscriminate information in embedded lists. Please help clean up the lists by removing items or incorporating them into the text of the article.

Mentioned by Media

Media critics consider the following cases (in reverse chronological order) to be examples of MWWS:

• Kelsey Smith (June 2, 2007) - 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.
• Madeleine McCann (May 3, 2007) - 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).
• Tara Grant (February 9, 2007) - married mother of two children aged 4 and 6 from Washington Township, Michigan 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.
• Jodi Sanderholm (January 5, 2007) - 19-year-old college student from Arkansas City, Kansas disappeared and was later found dead
• Michelle Gardner-Quinn (October 7, 2006) - was an undergraduate at the University of Vermont 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 Richmond on October 13. Brian Rooney, 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.
• Jill Metzger (September 4, 2006) - United States Air Force major who disappeared in Kyrgyzstan, reappearing four days later
• Destiny Norton (July 23, 2006) - 5-year-old from Salt Lake City abducted from her neighborhood. The body of the child was found, and a neighbor was arrested for the murder.
• Jennifer Kesse (January 24, 2006) - missing 24-year-old, never reported to her job in Orlando, Florida
• Taylor Behl (September 5, 2005) - 17-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University freshman disappeared and was later found dead; murderer convicted
• Scout Taylor-Compton (August 25, 2005) - 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
• Alicia Ross (August 17, 2005) - 25-five year-old Canadian 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.
• Natalee Holloway (May 30, 2005) - still missing, last known location in Aruba: active investigation. Has become especially controversial because of the great duration of media coverage.
• Shasta Groene (May 16, 2005) - found alive, brother killed; kidnapper captured
• Jennifer Wilbanks (April 26, 2005) - "The Runaway Bride." 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.
• Kiki Kousoglou (April 11, 2005) was a 20 year old caucasian blonde girl from Veria, Greece who went missing in April 2005. After 4 months her boyfriend confessed the murder to the police. For more (in greek).
• Sarah Lunde (April 9, 2005) - found murdered; murderer convicted
• Jessica Lunsford (February 23, 2005) - found murdered; murderer captured; prompted Jessica's law
• Megan Holden (January 19, 2005) - abducted from Wal-Mart parking lot, found dead
• Lori Hacking (July 19, 2004) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted Lori's law proposal
• Yolanda Bindics (July 2004) - disappeared after leaving work at Family Dollar in Jamestown, New York, found dead in 2006; investigation underway
• Brooke Wilberger (May 24, 2004) - still missing, presumed dead; man arrested for murder
• Audrey Seiler (March 28, 2004) - alleged kidnapping in Madison, Wisconsin; Seiler admitted faking the kidnapping several days later
• Dru Sjodin (November 22, 2003) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted Dru's law
• Ardeth Wood (August 6, 2003) - found murdered; suspect arrested two years later
• Laci Peterson (December 23, 2002) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted Laci and Conner's law
• Holly Wells & Jessica Chapman (August 4, 2002) - 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
• Samantha Runnion (July 15, 2002) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted Samantha's law proposal
• Elizabeth Smart (June 5, 2002) - found alive; kidnapper found incompetent to stand trial
• Jennifer and Abby Blagg (November 13, 2001) - reported missing from Grand Junction, Colorado. Jennifer's body found June 4 2002. Husband convicted in 2004.
• Chandra Levy (May 1, 2001) - missing for several months; decomposed body found and foul play/murder is suspected; cold case
• Lucie Blackman July 1, 2000 - 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."
• JonBenét Ramsey (December 25, 1996) - found murdered; cold case until August 2006 arrest of suspect. Suspect was later exonerated and murder is now considered a cold case again.
• Amber Hagerman (January 16, 1996) - found murdered; cold case; prompted establishment of AMBER Alert
• Jodi Huisentruit (June 27, 1995) - 27 year old Mason City, Iowa news anchor disappeared on her way to work. She was presumed kidnapped. No suspects were tried and her body was never found.
• Megan Kanka (July 29, 1994) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted Megan's Law
• Polly Klaas (October 1, 1993) - found murdered; murderer convicted; prompted renewal of Three strikes law
• Sara Anne Wood (August 18, 1993) - kidnapper confessed sexual assault and murder, but refused to tell where he buried the body
• Suzy Lamplugh (July 28, 1986) - 25 year old British estate agent. Never found: declared legally dead in 1994. Featured heavily in British media.
• Patty Hearst (February 4, 1974) - kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). On April 15, 1974, 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.
• Marian Parker (December 14, 1927) - 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 October 19, 1928, 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:

• Kenji Ohmi (January 28, 2006) - a Japanese male exchange student. Japanese media cited low coverage in the U.S., comparing it with Audrey Seiler, 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.
• LaToyia Figueroa (July 18, 2005) - 18-year-old woman of African-American/Hispanic heritage from Philadelphia area whose case became prominent because of an organized Internet campaign to counter missing white woman syndrome. On August 20, 2005, the body of Figueroa, who was pregnant, was found in Chester, Pennsylvania. 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.
• Patrick Kim McDermott (June 30, 2005) - 48-year-old male of Korean descent and boyfriend of actress Olivia Newton-John. 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.
• Reyna Alvarado-Carrera (May 6, 2005) - 13-year-old Hispanic-American girl who disappeared in Norcross, Georgia.
• Azucena Valdez (June 2, 2004) - 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 July 6, 2004, the First Judicial District Court, Cache County, Utah, issued an arrest warrant for Sanchez charging him with kidnapping. On January 6, 2005, 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.
• Tamika Huston (May 27, 2004) - 24-year-old black woman who went missing from Spartanburg, South Carolina, 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 minorities. Huston's body was eventually found, and a man has been sentenced to life in prison after confessing to her murder.
• Alexis Patterson (May 3, 2002) - 5-year-old black female who went missing after her stepfather dropped her off to school at High Mount Elementary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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.
• Marilyn Renee "Niqui" McCown (July 22, 2001) - 25-year-old woman from Richmond, 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 Dayton, Ohio. After much speculation, many feel that her case is becoming a cold case.
• Shelton Sanders (June 19, 2001) - 25-year-old male, black college student. According to MSNBC, "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, Dail Dinwiddie, has continued to receive national attention more than a dozen years after she vanished in 1992."
• 100+ missing women in Vancouver, Edmonton, 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 Robert Picton, charged with the murders of 27 women and believed to be responsible for more. See CBC report on Vancouver; CBC report on Edmonton. See also this site dedicated to the missing Aboriginal women in the Vancouver area, and this site, also focused on Vancouver.

MWWS in Iraq War

Critics of MWWS also point to the example of the media coverage of Jessica Lynch versus the coverage of Shoshana Johnson.

• Jessica Lynch (March 23, 2003) - Captured in Iraq War. Cited as an example of Damsel in Distress Syndrome. Rescued by U.S. Forces (April 1, 2003)

• Shoshana Johnson (March 23, 2003) - the first black female prisoner of war in the military history of the United States. She and Jessica Lynch were taken captive during the same ambush, but Johnson received very little media attention in comparison to Lynch. Rescued by U.S. Forces April 13, 2003.

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 July 4 2005, the collaborative website Kuro5hin posted an editorial highly critical of the media coverage of the investigation into the Natalee Holloway disappearance. The editorial accused the mass media of subtle racism for covering the Holloway case but ignoring the case of Reyna Alvarado-Carrera, 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 The Daily Show released America: The Book, which among other political topics parodied MWWS by offering a fictional formula regarding media coverage of a kidnapping. The equation went: ${\displaystyle MinutesofCoverage=FamilyIncome*(AbducteeCuteness/SkinColor)^{2}+LengthofAbduction*MediaSavvyofGrievingParents^{3}}$
• In 1997, The Onion published an article titled Ugly Girl Killed: Nation Unshaken By Not-So-Tragic Death 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 Missing White Girl Drives Missing Black Girl From Headlines.
• In the film Scary Movie, 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 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip did a parody of Nancy Grace where she is furiously looking for a missing white woman's cell phone.

External links

• ABC News - "Some Say Missing Minority Cases Ignored"
• USA Today - "Spotlight skips cases of missing minorities"
• MSNBC - "If you’re missing, it helps to be young, white and female"
• The Detroit News - "Media should stop obsessing on missing white women"
• Buzzflash - "Hold The 'Missing White Woman' Stories, Please"
• News Record - "A Missing Answer"
• Missing-girl cases differed - "Two 17 year old girls from Richmond, Va. One white, one black. Police deny bias."
• Met chief accuses media of racism - Head of London's police says murders in minority communities appear "not to interest the mainstream media"
• Press should not feel too smug after Blair's blunder – Journalist comments on Police Commissioner’s remarks
• New Statesman - Prof. of Journalism on male/female contrast
• Washington Post, Friday, June 10, 2005 - Eugene Robinson, '(white) women we love'
• Essence, July 2005 - MWWS was the subject of an award-winning feature in Essence Magazine, called "Have You Seen Her?" In this article, several missing African American women, most notably Tamika Huston of South Carolina, were profiled by journalist Kristal Brent Zook.
• early use of term - Michelle Malkin, Jun 11, 2005. This is a blog, but at present is the earliest citation of "missing pretty girl syndrome".

See also

• Deviancy amplification spiral

• Criticism of journalism
• Discrimination
• Social phenomena