Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Here we go again

What is it with the national media that everytime an attractive white woman goes missing, it is a national news story. I understand the tragedy of those who have died - Laci Peterson, Lori Hacking - and many others that have slipped my mind. Add to that the recent Runaway Bride story from Georgia, and you have a media feeding frenzy. The national media is all a-twitter about her motives for running, her method, her fiance blah blah blah. Read Keith Olberman's inane nattering on this subject. For the life of me I cannot understand why this is national news.

The cynic in me wants to believe it is because they are attractive and white. Women of color go missing every day and it is often several days before their local news picks up the case. But it seems that every young, attractive white woman in the US who does not return from her errands suddenly is more important than the shenanigans in Washington, D.C., the war on terror (body count has dropped and so has media interest), the problems securing our borders etc.

The more forgiving me wants to believe that the media believes their scrutiny will aid in the investigation and ultimately help return these women alive, or sadly, dead in some cases.

This is an imperfect society and I am fully aware of that, But it does seem a bit odd to me that the only women who go missing and received national attention are white and under 40. The media that prides itself on fairness and progressivity needs to examine it's editorial decision making policy, in my humble opinion.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I just saw the runaway bride on the new yesterday. She was doing community time, mowing lawns. And the media wouldn't leave her alone.

She is a celebrity in her own right, elevated to fame by America. She stands among the rest of the '15 minute famers', that's for sure.

It seems to be reality TV lived out.