Dateline NBC Fri 8pm: Missing minorities in missing persons stories

[mixedview]

When a 'Dateline' story invites some self-criticism (Josh Mankiewicz, Dateline Correspondent)

...
Until I began to research this story, though, I had no idea how lopsided the numbers really were as pertains to missing Americans. Most aren't young, attractive, white women. In fact, most are men. About 30 percent are black, a much higher percentage of the missing than blacks are of the U.S. population. And they attract almost no coverage nationally.
...

"What's Missing?" airs on "Dateline NBC" Friday, 8 p.m./7 C.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8828472/

note: I posted a similar thread a few days ago.. would've kicked it instead of starting this one, but topic archived.

[Jack Rabbit]

1. This reads like a series of copycat threads in the DU Lounge

Somebody complains there are too many missing blond teenager stories saturating national cable newscasts.

So their idea of a solution is to start running stories on national cable newscasts about missing persons who aren't blond teenagers.

And they probably think it's progress.

[mixedview]

7. I agree - equal time, "token minority stories" would not fix the problem

I don't know what will, though.

But it IS a problem that needs to be addressed.

Is it a failure of the market, i.e. people just like to see people who look like them, and most American viewers are white women ?

Is it a values problem, i.e. Americans value certain types of people over others, especially on the basis of looks ?

Or is it intentional racism on the part of the media ?

IMO, I think this is not intentional racism on the media's part - they will push whatever stories garner the highest ratings.

I think it's more of a market failure/values problem which creates a racist situation (minorities don't get covered).

Like I said though, I don't know what the solution would be. This is not a simple problem.

[yorkiemommie1]

2. LA Times had article too

" Not Only Natalee Is Missing "

http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-et-aruba5aug05,0,780917.story?coll=la-home-style

.... " Criticism of the media disparity has increased with the growth of the news genre focusing on missing women. While the media seem to focus on a parade of attractive disappeared white women — from Laci Peterson and Chandra Levy to "runaway bride" Jennifer Wilbanks, the scores of missing black and Latina women garner little or no national attention, critics say. ..."

[despairing optimist]

3. What about the missing Iraqis? The missing war in Afghanistan?

The missing exit strategies?

What color is NBC's red herring?

[Bluebear]

4. This story does sound like a step in the right direction though

All missing people are not white American females. Good for them for addressing this disgrace in media coverage.

[despairing optimist]

6. It's good to correct imbalances in coverage, but correcting this one

will mean less time to cover other stories in the public interest. Missing-people stories run in packs, as do other types of stories, and it's easy for the media to create its own trends and fall into traps reporting them. Then it spends more time commenting on itself and correcting the way in which it first reported the stories--choice of subject, style, arrangement of facts in the story, and so on.

I'm not defending reporting only on attractive missing white women, but by the time all the reports on ugly missing men hit the airwaves and print media, it will be time to crank up the flu vaccine and decadent-celebrity-lifestyle stories resulting in even less news about things more important to where the US is headed.

[Bluebear]

9. Points well taken and agreed. nt

[Jack Rabbit]

8. How about Osama?

Now, there's a missing person I'd like to locate. It's even worthy of national attention.

[despairing optimist]

10. Our Leader mentioned Osama this week while commenting on the Marines

killed in Iraq, as if the sordid affair was a way of "tightening the noose" (remember that lamentable expression?) around Osama. I think some people actually bought that bill of goods too.

Osama comes and goes as the Bushites need him, like a monster on call from Central Casting. Every day is Halloween in the Bush administration. Their missing mugs would curdle the contents of any milk carton, so don't expect them to appear there in case we luck out.

[Jack Rabbit]

11. 'Every day is Halloween in the Bush administration.'

They like to play dress up in costumes that reflect the opposite of their real personalities . . . .


CNN

[flyarm]

5. where's the missing 9 billion $$ of iraqi money??

where's the missing wmd??

where's the missing money from the treasury??

where's the missing returning soldiers in caskets for us to honor??

where's the missing news about * lying us into war?

where's the missing stories about downing street memos?

where's the missing stories about at least 45 million americans with no heatlh coverage??

where's the missing stories about all the money haliburton has stolen from us taxpayers??

where's the missing stories Cheney getting the military ready to dump nucs on iran?

where;s the missing story about the indictments given out in virginia regarding a spy in this white house?

where's the missing story about 9/11 and the janitor in the basement of wtc and he heard explosions?

ohhh i could go on and on..but lets just have a little more koby, lacy, aruba, palmerio, run away bride, run away husband, runaway dog, runaway cat, runaway flys, bride disses inlaws, empty pool in high heat,..swealtering beaches...watermelon thats mushy..

wtf...we could send them some ideas!!