One should not be upset/angry about Gabby Petito getting media attention.

[boston bean]

They should be upset about the media not covering other cases the same way.

I am just glad some missing women’s story is being covered.

Hell, three women a day are murdered every single day in this country by their husband, boyfriend, fiancée, or ex husband, or soon to be divorced husband.

How many of those do you hear about in a day on national news?How often have you heard the media mention the statistic?

It is not just a color issue. It is a women’s issue, overall. I am sympathetic to this white girls family.

I also understand that the media should do a better job overall covering the missing/murder of women of color. But that fact does not subtract from my empathy this girls poor plight and her families pain.

The body cam footage clearly showed to me a very frightened girl, who was afraid of saying anything bad about Mr Laundrie and what consequences that may bring upon her. Perhaps if it were a woman police officer she might have understood the very real battered women’s syndrome. The police failed her.

[Lovie777]

1. Agreed . ...

But every case has it's horrible story.

[calimary]

2. I've had tons of mixed feelings about this case and its coverage.

I think probably ANY feelings or opinions or impressions that come up here, I’ve felt too. Really lost in thought about this one, north ‘n’ south, pro ‘n’ con, good guys ‘n’ bad guys, singularly and collectively (would that be micro and macro?), and on and on.

[boston bean]

3. I guess I am coming down on the side of the woman who was murdered.

3 women a day murdered by an SO and no one gives a shit white/black/yellow/brown!

[DallasNE]

33. To Help Put This In Perspective

How many men are murdered a day by their SO?

My guess is that it will be less than 1 but that is only a guess.

[cinematicdiversions]

54. Men are 77.8% of homicide victims.

No this is not a result of domestic violence, mind you in most cases. But to put in perspective you are much more likely to be murdered as a man.

[DallasNE]

58. I'm Sure A Lot Of That Imbalance

Is gang/drug related.

[ShazzieB]

97. But not by a SO.

There are loads of statistics on this, making clear that women are much more likely to be murdered by a current or former intimate partner. (Former, because women are in most danger of being murdered by an abusive SO in the weeks and months after leaving an abusive relationship.)

More men are murdered? Yes. But women are overwhelmingly more likely to be victims of intimate partner abuse, all the way up to and including murder.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/21/538518569/cdc-half-of-all-female-murder-victims-are-killed-by-intimate-partners

https://now.org/resource/violence-against-women-in-the-united-states-statistic/

[hlthe2b]

7. She didn't have a choice in her race...nor it would appear to lose her life at the hands of another.

While I appreciate the issues being brought up, one doesn't solve this more global issue by lashing out at other (or any) victims.

[Duppers]

36. Exactly!

[calimary]

39. There certainly is that.

[wnylib]

40. I hope you are not referring to my post

on another thread about how the media likes to latch onto a missing or murdered woman for a few days or weeks of coverage. I mentioned in that post that the cases of women of color are not given coverage. That is not "lashing out" at white women. It is simply stating a fact. I am white.

I am also not unsympathetic to the grief of the family. But, as a woman who was myself nearly killed by a SO, I am bothered by the WAY the media cover these cases. I see their coverage bringing in viewers, which is good for their ratings, and they make great stories for people to chat about, but I don't see the coverage doing much for women who end up in these kinds of relationships.

These cases are opportunities to run documentaries or have panel discussions open to viewer/listener calls. They are a chance to let relatives and friends recognize signs and be prepared to let the person know that they will help if needed. People who have not been in such a relationship usually cannot understand what a woman is going through in these situations. These cases offer a chance to educate the public on the dynamics of these relstionships and the obstacles women face in getting free.

It's one thing to give coverage on a missing woman, the search for her, and the outcome. It's something else to actually address the issue of abused and murdered women in ways that can help them.

[hlthe2b]

59. No. I didn't see your post. I, too am sympathetic to the much wider issues and aghast at

our failure to address them--particularly the lack of emphasis on violence against women of color. But, I simply cannot condone a couple of posters on another thread, who, while rightfully pointing out the inequalities and scope of the larger problem, were so disdainful of this victim and her family as well as all concerned for her fate.

There should be no denying that there is an enormous problem with violence against women, in general, going unaddressed-- made even more abhorrent by an unacceptable lack of focus to victims of color.

I appreciate the personal, albeit nearly tragic perspective that you bring to this, and am grateful that you are here to speak to all about it. We need to be united to address the much larger issues at play.

[wnylib]

76. Most Americans are completely unaware that

lack of law enforcement action regarding violence against Native women is a big issue among indigenous people and has been for many years, long before this case with Gabby. There is a LOT of anger in Native communities over this. Very often when a Native woman is reported missing, LE does not do an investigation or search, at all. Sometimes they don't even bother to file a report. If a Native woman's body is found after being reported missing, it is usually because her family did their own search for her. Then LE does not investigate or search for the killer. The whole thing is ignored as if it never happened. There are over 700 cases like this.

Native communities do not have a group like BLM representing their interests in this. One reason is that each tribal nation has its own separate jurisdictional relationship with law enforcement agencies. Consequently, this issue is not well known outside of Native communities. When they express anger at the difference in the way that violence against Native women is handled, and then get told that this is an issue for all women, it is the same as telling BLM supporters that "All lives matter." It has the effect of dismissing this very serious and longstanding problem among Native people.

I know that this glossing over of Native anger is due to lack of awareness of indigenous issues in the greater public at large. As I said on my earlier post, I am white. But I am aware of this issue because I had a Native grandmother. I have relatives who live on Native land. I am not a tribal member because my grandmother's Native nation is matrilineal and she was my father's mother. The other side of my family is from northern European descent. (Even my grandmother had some European ancestry, which is not unusual among Native Americans.) This makes me more aware of the violence issue among Native woman than most non Native people are.

So when posters here express anger over the media coverage that Gabby's case is getting, they are not lashing out at her or her family. They are angry that there is no justice for Native women and their families.

[hlthe2b]

83. I worked with Native Americans on Pine Ridge for several years. None of this is new to me.

It is a scourge that our country refuses to deal with, just as the countless murdered women along the US-Mexico border--many victims of a yet-to-be-captured serial killer-- as well as the countless African American and other women of color throughout the country.

That said, this is a tragedy for all women, their families, friends, and society. Ignoring one or diminishing the impacts of one particular victim because others are irresponsibly not given similar media attention is not the answer. Nor is deriding those who express concern about a specific victim, even while others deserve similar attention that they are not yet getting. And, yes, that has occurred here.

[wnylib]

88. I do not condone deriding any victim or her family.

I have seen some posts that do that.

But I have also seen posts that accuse other posters of deriding or dismissing Gabby Petito when they are not doing that, but are only expressing anger at divisions that already exist in how these cases are handled.

I am glad to see that you are aware of the problem and apologize for thinking that you were not. I believe that acknowledging the divisions on how the cases are handled is a step toward unity in fighting against violence toward all women.

[Tommymac]

95. I wasn't aware. And I like to think of myself as well read.

But the awful philosophy behind the MSM treatment of Women in general over my lifetime (60+ years) is at fault.

The majority of people WOULD watch a case such as this if it involved a Native American or other minority women IF the press gave it the light of day. And they would be just as outraged, just as involved.

But over 150 years of creating this misogynistic and racist spin by the MSM (from newspapers to the internet) has left the general public unaware, uneducated, and lost.

A dog only eats what it is given.

Fuck the conservative owners of the MSM - the rich bigot assholes and Corporations who have been the ones behind the curtains fucking with us all.

Thank you for enlightening me. I will educate myself.

[wnylib]

96. I would probably not be aware of

the problem in Native communities if I did not have Native relatives. It is well documented by Native people, but given very little notice or coverage outside of those communities.

One problem is racism that refuses to acknowledge Native people as human beings with rights, and views toward Native women as "fair game."

Another problem is the result of decades of abusive boarding schools for Native children. Destroy family unity and whole cultures while raising their children in abusive atmospheres from age 5 to 16 and you get high incidences among survivors of alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide, and abuse. This fuels the attitude that "They are not like us. They are sub human." Never mind that the problem was created by abusing generations of their children.

A third problem is that each tribal nation has its own treaties and agreements with the federal government (and sometimes with state governments) regarding self government and jurisdictions over crimes. Most of the time murders are handled by the FBI, but local tribal police might assist with investigations depending on the relationship between the tribe and the feds. Tribal governments vary in effectiveness.

It is a complex situation that needs to be addressed. But even asking for help in addressing it has its problems because it can mean that people unfamiliar with the cultures and needs make changes and suggestions that don't take those factors into account.

[Hekate]

4. Thanks, bean. Stand back and look at this as a woman's issue, knowing any woman ...

… regardless of color or creed, could find herself battered, assaulted, or murdered by someone she knows and used to trust. And who will help her? The cops? Really? They sent her back into that van and advised the couple to sleep in separate places that night, if I heard correctly.

It’s not the coverage, it’s the response.

[smirkymonkey]

29. +1000

Thank you. It is well past time that LE started taking violence against ALL women seriously.

[LisaM]

5. Well put.

We can and should do better, but very well said.

[TexasBushwhacker]

6. She's getting coverage because she had a YouTube channel with 40K followers

She was documenting the very trip she went missing from, so yeah, for a lot of people, especially young people into social media, that's news. She's not the first social media star to die and have their death become news.

[Renew Deal]

8. And... the news agencies know that mysteries drive months/years of ratings.

[TexasBushwhacker]

16. Exactly

Yes, it's horrible when anyone is murdered, but some cases are local news, some national, some international news, and some just aren't news at all, because they happen every day.

[wnylib]

44. YES! And that is the problem that I have

with the coverage. As someone who has been there, the ratings game on this feels dehumanizing.

[Moebym]

9. K&R n/t

[Cobalt Violet]

10. I don't need colonial advice or permission to be angry but thanks anyway.

Damn fucking right I'm pissed and I will stay pissed until the 5000+ Missing and Murdered Indigenous women are treated as human as well. WE ARE FUCKING HUMAN TOO!

[Jon King]

12. I agree, please never tell others what to be angry about.

What a strange concept for a thread, totally do not get it.

[boston bean]

15. Well, Jon. You might not get it. But you should.

[boston bean]

13. Gabby Petito is also human. She didn't deserve to be missing and murdered.

There a thousands of women every year of all colors this happens to and NOTHING is done.

You can be angry about indigenous women not getting media attention. But you shouldn’t be mad at Gabby Petito. Nor should you think her tragedy is any less than that of an indigenous woman.

I guess I just told you again not to be angry, again. And I don’t apologize for it. Because your anger is misplaced on a young white woman. A victim of domestic violence.

[smirkymonkey]

31. +1000

No victim should be the target of anyone's anger because of what the media chooses to focus upon. That is just wrong.

FYI, I am agreeing with you just incase it is not coming across that way.

[wnylib]

50. Nobody is making the victim in this case

a target of anger. Where are you getting that from? The anger is at society, especially LE, for failing to treat ALL victims as worthy of protection and of a search and investigation when they are victims. That does NOT take anything away from Gabby Petito or her family.

[boston bean]

60. Believe me white women are unprotected in these situations.

Are they once in a while covered by the press more than women of color yes.

But this is not the victims fault. It is all a sickness of this society where’re white women even in their death are sexualized for dollars.

So, it ain’t pretty any which way around.

[wnylib]

81. You're preaching to the choir. I am

a white female survivor of an abusive relationship in which the abuser threatened to kill me, tried a few times, and stalked me with more threats when I managed to get away from him.

But I also have Native relatives so I am aware that law enforcement does not even investigate reports of missing Native women. When their families do their own search and find the bodies, there is often no investigation to find the killer. This is a longstanding serious issue in Native communities that precedes the case of Gabby Petito. Telling Native people that it is a problem for "all women" is like telling BLM that "all lives matter." As I well know from my own experience, it is true that violence against all women, regardless of race, is a serious issue. But among Native women and their families, there is also the issue that their cases are usually completely ignored.

You can find out more about it by doing a search with the words "missing indigenous women."

[hlthe2b]

61. I disagree with your assessment. Perhaps you've not seen what some of us have.

Last edited Mon Sep 20, 2021, 06:34 AM - Edit history (1)

Granted, the contempt for the victim, family & all concerned for her welfare has been overt from only a (very small) minority on DU--a few posters. Still, while some of these individuals quite rightfully seek attention to the much wider issues of race and inequality in our prioritization of these cases--something I think all or nearly all DUers are both cognizant of and agree with-- dividing our efforts by discounting one victim over another is not the way.

[wnylib]

84. It depends on the posts that you are

referring to. While some posters are insensitive, to say the least, in their comments about Gabby Petito and her family, others point out some serious divisions that already exist in how cases are handled according to race and ethnicity. They are not creating divisions. They are expressing anger at divisions that already exist and are asking for unity in how they are handled. For those posters, the anger is not at Petito and her family. It is at the existing divisions in handling cases of violence against women. Ignoring the validity of their complaints about the problem rubs salt into an already festering wound.

Why not acknowledge the reality of their situation and bring unity to how all cases are handled by becoming aware of what they are complaining about? A good place to start is with a search using the words "missing indigenous women." There is a lot of online information about it in both the US and Canada.

[hlthe2b]

87. We agree on the wider issues and have in every exchange. This issue is those who would discount

and diminish this victim and deride those who are concerned for her plight-- because of those inequities for other victims. That suggests her victimization is somehow less than and not worthy of discussion--the flip side of the failure to address and give equal attention to the more global problem of murdered and missing women of color.

Would I strive to see this level of attention brought to a woman of color, an immigrant, a Native American, or a very impoverished woman? You are damned right and I spent a few years at least tangentially involved in those issues as they intersect health care for Native people. But, do I want this young woman's plight to go similarly ignored because she was not among those groups who have in the past failed to receive much-needed attention? No. And, I'd hope we could find a global level of sympathy and empathy for such loss of life, regard. I fail to regard some tragedies as "more worthy" than others.

[wnylib]

89. We are cross posting. I wrote the previous post

here before reading your post about your work at Pine Ridge.

We do agree on the basic issues. I see Native anger differently, but agree that unity in opposing violence is necessary. All women's rights to be free of violence are at stake.

[hlthe2b]

91. ...

Strength in united purpose!

[wnylib]

47. I can't speak for Cobalt Violet, but I can say

that my understanding of CV's post is very different from yours. I did not see anything in that post that showed anger at Gabby Petito. I can't see how you get that from the post.

Everyone at DU is aware that POC are treated very differently when stopped by police or suspected of involvement in a crime. Apparently, though, very few are aware of how they are also treated differently when they or a friend or relative are victims of a crime. How complaints are ignored. How LE refuses to even search for a WOC when relatives report her missing. How they often do not follow up with an investigation to find the murderer when the dead body is found, if it is found. People who live near reservations know they can attack Native women with impunity.

Pointing that out is NOT taking anything away from Gabby Petito. It is NOT saying that the murder of a white woman counts less than the murder of a WOC. It is only saying that ALL women deserve better, but too often, WOC get less.

[treestar]

57. So link to one of those cases.

So we can determine the similarity in mysteriousness. If you don't care about this one because she's white, at least fucking tell us about the cases you give a shit about.

[Treefrog]

93. Good post.

[COL Mustard]

11. As The Saying Goes.....

Men's biggest fear about women is that women will laugh at them.

Women's biggest fear about men is that men will kill them.

Sad. Very sad.

[Lunabell]

14. I absolutely agree.

And I absolutely agree that the media just goes on to a pretty little white girl tragedy. It's what sells. Sickening.

[boston bean]

20. Thanks Luna. Thought for sure my OP was pretty clear.

Yes there is a media difference in coverage. That is a huge problem. However, so many women of all colors don’t get a mention. I am glad that once and a while it makes the news. However, imperfect and bias they may be.

Gabby was a person who suffered the same a terrible fate many women of all colors have unfortunately been a victim of.

Her story is worth hearing and reading about.

[Lunabell]

32. Oh yes.

I agreed with it all.

[Larissa]

17. It is said that the most dangerous place for women . . .

. . . is the home.

[maxsolomon]

18. This being 2021, it was inevitable that the coverage itself would be attacked.

It's hard to communicate how much social media drove this story, not the media's bias towards young white women. Twitter and Tik Tok were basically crowd-sourcing the investigation, so it's the crowd's bias, too.

Women on Tik Tok were dissecting Petito's blonde roots in photos Laundrie posted using her account. The campground was located because OTHER van lifers spotted the van with FL plates and had filmed it.

Petito's class has as much to do with the coverage as her hair color. The bias is against poor women's murders as much as race.

[Demovictory9]

24. yes, it also grabbed the attention of social media because there is an identifiable villain

if she was just lost in the woods, there would have been less attention

but race, gender, age,etc.. plays a role

[mcar]

19. Kick

[Demovictory9]

21. yes, it's more than color.. it's race, gender, class, lookism, ageism

[Demovictory9]

22. interesting point you make about battered women's syndrom. cop was looking for battered boyfriend

syndrome. She admitted to hitting HIM but she could have been in more danger because of strength differential

[boston bean]

23. They did not ask her if she was in fear. He had a scratch on his hand.

She could have hit him in defense because he was abusing her in ways unseen.

He was Mr. cool. Nicely nice and she was frantic. And blaming herself. Classic battered women’s syndrome.

Police fell for poor guy he has a crazy gf. Never thinking she was probably the one being abused.

[ChubbyStar]

27. One of the hallmarks of a Narcissist is the ability to rile up their partner and remain cool

and play the victim. It is a gas lighting tactic. I wonder if they separated them after the "domestic" issue to ask questions, even then she may have been too fearful of him to be forthcoming or worse she believed it was all her fault. This is a tragedy.

[boston bean]

30. Yep. I think she believed it was her fault. Unfortunately all too common.

He said he cut his hand on a fence and they were like ok. I think it was a fence. I gotta go back and watch it.

If that were me, I would have immediately been questioning if he had been abusive with her.

She was saying she was making him mad. Apologizing for making him mad.

Classic women’s battered syndrome. It was really really sad to watch. She is dead now. We know who the abuser is.

[ChubbyStar]

34. I have not seen any footage I do not have a television

But I have read much about this and after having lived with a narcissist for a decade and fleeing for my sanity and my life, I have a pretty good understanding of how they operate. I was in my 40's and early 50's and it baffled me to finally grasp what he was doing to me.

[boston bean]

99. Come to find out the incident that preceded them being pulled over

Was a complaint to police about him hitting and slapping her. I am so god danger angry! They really effed this up. They being the police.

We have a long way to go.

[womanofthehills]

38. She said he shoved her and grabbed her face

She said he was telling her she was not a successful blogger. Most women have at some point met an insecure man who belittles them. He must have been so emotionally abusive, for her to strike back. Come on, no reason for a woman to hit a guy that is treating her well.

[smirkymonkey]

55. That's an interesting point.

I think it is going to come out that he was insanely jealous of her.

[yaesu]

25. its the new shiny object msm is dangling before us so we don't notice the fascists dirty tricks. nt

[womanofthehills]

41. No, I think it's a story many women can relate to

Most of us have come into contact with an abusive man. She was too young to know how to deal with it - plus her social media presence and the police videos added to the interest. We rarely have so much info on a case.

[Bobstandard]

26. Surprise: It's possible to hold multiple thoughts in your head at the same time

It’s possible to lament the fate of the latest white girl to pluck the national heart strings while wishing similar attention would be paid to less white, less sympathetic missing women. The one does not negate or denigrate the other.

[boston bean]

28. Calling her a pretty young white girl in a denigrating way is what

is out of line.

Oh another pretty white blond is missing/murdered, surprise, we gonna hear about this for months. What about this, what about that. Gabby Petito is a person too no matter the media’s bias.

Be mad at the media but don’t play into their wrong doings by denigrating the loss of this woman.

[smirkymonkey]

35. Thank you.

It makes me sick that the anger is directed toward this poor young woman rather than at the media where it belongs.

[hlthe2b]

63. +++

[Meowmee]

64. Agree

This is a tragedy no matter the color, race, looks etc. Sad to see the lack of humanity here in many posters but it is not surprising at all to me. Maybe there needs to be a channel devoted to lost/missing persons of all colors etc. Each story is a tragedy. She was clearly frightened. The police labeled her as emotional/manic etc. What a crock... miserable fail on their part, they could have prevented this.

[Beacool]

37. I'm not upset by the media coverage.

She was a young woman whose life was cut short by the man in her life. It's a story as old as time.

May she rest in peace.

[womanofthehills]

45. But these are not old times - everything is caught on video now

Her body was even found because a family was videotaping their drive and realized her van was in their video.

[Raine]

42. Totally agree ... Thanks for saying it. 👍 nt

[yardwork]

43. Very true.

[Kaleva]

46. This implies that DUers, or some DUers, are enthralled by the national news.

That they can't talk about or think about anything beyond what the national news puts out.

I have no idea who Gabby Petito is and why she warrants numerous threads here over, as you point out, the many, many other women who have been murdered by their husband, boyfriend, fiancée or ex. My knowledge of her is gleaned from the titles of Ops about her her in GD that I see when scanning for threads I may be interested in.

As for the other female victims not being covered, their tragic stories are often reported by local media but if one were to write an Op about any one of them, that thread will most likely, IMHO, sink like a rock for lack of interest.

Damn near 100% of the news I get is from DU. I don't watch tv news unless I read here first that something major is going on. If it isn't mentioned here in GD or LBN or in one of the groups I subscribe to, it's not likely I'll know anything about it. If what's posted here at DU is on a subject I'm very interested in, I'll probably google it to find other sources that are discussing or reporting on the subject.

As for the Gabby Petito threads , other then this one, I haven't read them but I have wondered why this woman is getting so much attention here at DU over other women who have disappeared and a male SO is a person of interest.

[StarfishSaver]

49. Thank you

[Demsrule86]

51. IMO, it is a good thing she is getting all this attention it brings attention to the fact that many

women are murdered at the hands of their significant other. The common denominator here is that all women of any color can subject to this atrocity.

[Kaleva]

53. But how long will this attention to this major issue last?

Once this woman's story fades? To my knowledge, this hasn't been discussed much before and my guess it will receive little attention later.

[Demsrule86]

78. Any attention is a good thing...some woman will see herself in this situation and get out in time...

even if only a few do...it is still worth it...we don't need white women missing/abused covered less...we need all women covered more by the media.

[StarfishSaver]

74. That would be the common denominator if black women were ever included in the coverage

[LeftInTX]

69. Agree 100%

Last edited Mon Sep 20, 2021, 10:04 AM - Edit history (1)

I first read about Gabby Petito on DU.

I did look her up afterward.

She is a youtube star, so it's gonna attract media. I mean, the media already has their media.

I agree that many of those threads would sink for lack of interest.

[Demsrule86]

48. Excellent point. I agree. I was disturbed by this almost blaming the poor girl....it is a terrible

thing what happened to her and it doesn't matter her what her skin color is...this is a woman's issue.

[StarfishSaver]

52. I don't think anyone is blaming this poor girl

But if this really were simply "a woman"s issue," massive coverage of murdered women would not be limited to instances in which young, white, attractive (and usually, blonde) women are the victims.

Pointing out that the media seem to be interested in violence against women only when certain kinds of women are the target and not when women are Black, brown and/or poor is in no way an attack on or dismissal of this tragic person. It's just stating a reality that some people seem uncomfortable acknowledging.

[boston bean]

62. But they are. Also, think about why an attractive young white woman

garners more press than a woman of color in same exact situation.

It’s not all rooted in racial bias.

It is also rooted in societal sexism. But with that come a bit of positive attention on domestic violence affecting alll women.

Being young pretty and white did not save this girl.

It doesn’t all tie up nicely in a little bow that there is just one problem here with this coverage. But again one silver lining about it some attention is given to the issue that affects all women.

[StarfishSaver]

65. I didn't see anyone blaming her

And certainly no one claimed that being white and pretty had anything to do with why she was a victim.

But if anyone does not recognize or won't admit that if the facts were the same, but this was a poor or Black or brown woman, this would NOT be getting the same coverage, they are in denial.

And the media is not covering this because there's suddenly so concerned about domestic violence. They're covering it because it's a sensational case involving a woman that they feel a sense of connection to and who may think the public will as well. Domestic violence occurs every day, but they don't report on it like this. And they definitely don't report it like this when it involves women who aren't white and cute.

Pointing that out in no way is downplays this woman's suffering and tragedy. And the attempts by some here to dismiss legitimate concerns about racial bias in the media by claiming that it is, is bizarre and, frankly, disgusting.

[boston bean]

66. I can't read past the first sentence without responding.

I have seen it. Just because you have not does not mean it is not happening. Going to read the rest now.

[boston bean]

67. Do you think media only reports the way you describe because they believe she is a more important

victim than women of color.

[StarfishSaver]

70. Yes.

And because they think their audience feels the same way.

[boston bean]

71. Ok. That is not all I see.

I see sexism. A kind of sexism white women face much of their life. I am sure all colors do.

White granny or white menopausal auntie ain’t gonna get this type of coverage.

It is based upon look and body.

It is a disservice to women of all colors, sizes etc. However, one good thing about it, no matter how flawed the coverage, is it does bring to light domestic violence.

I see a sickness about it, not just racially but also societies view of women as sexual objects.

[StarfishSaver]

72. What you see is often based on where you sit

Perhaps you should listen to people who sit in a different place and have been affected in a different way by these things instead of just telling us we don't know what we're talking about.

You might learn something.

[boston bean]

73. Perhaps it is you who should try your own advice. I see what you are saying

And agree with it. But that is not all there is to it.

That is a difference between you and me.

[StarfishSaver]

75. Funny - you don't seem like you have been agreeing with it

But if you are now saying you are, good for you. Maybe you learned something in the discourse.

[boston bean]

77. I think you should read the OP again.

[violasays]

86. No, I think you should listen to nonwhite women

Who are angry because WOC go missing daily and don't get a fraction of the coverage.

Compare apples to apples. Gabby Petito wasn't a menopausal white woman or a granny. You know who else wasn't? Oluwatoyin Salau, a 19-year-old woman who actually tweeted about being sexually assaulted. Nothing was done until her body was found days later. There was no big media drag or hourly FBI updates. For every Gabby Petito there are dozens of Oluwatoyin Salaus, and it gets exhausting and frustrating to have to explain this to people.

You and others need to stop talking and listen for a change.

[BannonsLiver]

94. Imagine thinking the coverage was the most important thing.

Like keeping score at a game or something.

[boston bean]

98. And what makes you think I disagree with that?

You need to do a bit more comprehension. You are arguing something I have already agreed with you on.

However, you refuse to even consider that MOST missing/murdered/battered women of any color receive one iota of coverage. And that this type,of coverage goes beyond racial bias. It also includes sexism. Wielding sexism against a poor dead girl. Actually doing that because she is young, pretty and blonde. I am sure she was more than that in real life. In fact the cops failed her due to their own bias. Even though she was white young and beautiful. Now just dead.

[treestar]

56. Agree. It's like there is a cold lack of sympathy for

this girl and ignoring what happened to her in order to make a racial point.

And they refuse to provide information on the cases they say are not covered.

And also that it is her social media presence, going missing during the trip she was covering and the disappearance of the boyfriend and the mystery of it all. Many disappearances are routine, turn out to be a misunderstanding, and don't end in tragedy.

[Cobalt Violet]

100. "they refuse to provide information"

Maybe "they" know they don't owe you something that you could easily google for yourself.
Maybe "they" know your demand for this information is insincere.

Maybe "they" know it's not their job to educate you.

[treestar]

101. Well it is your job to convince someone of your point

If you can't bother and act like a conservative does, then your chances of convincing someone go way down.

[Cobalt Violet]

103. Will that be MasterCard or Visa

How will you be paying for my services today?
https://ibb.co/9Tx70Ft

[LeftInTX]

104. The national media, in particular cable news, will generally grab on to one case at a time

Last edited Tue Sep 21, 2021, 02:15 PM - Edit history (4)

That's the way it works.
If there is a specific case about a missing woman or a Native-American woman who has been killed at the hands of white oil camp workers, it should be blasted on the media. But the media will usually only focus on one case at a time. Just two days ago, I posted a yahoo link with lists and picture and names of missing/murdered indigenous women and now the article is gone. This pisses me off. It was a great starting point. Keep in mind that 99% of crime is local and local media, local non-profits and local governments play a much larger role in solving crime than cable news.

There are also general stories which become documentaries or 60 minutes episodes. https://news.yahoo.com/crisis-dateline-reports-epidemic-missing-142000371.html

https://www.nbc.com/dateline/video/the-secrets-of-spirit-lake/9000161923

So there are two issues: An epidemic of missing Native-American women (covered via documentaries, 60 minutes, special segments etc)
A specific case of a missing Native-American woman.

Additionally, keep in mind that "true crime" tends to be a bit of tabloid fodder and it has a bit of voyeurism and soap opera content. Years ago, it was covered in magazines that were not in the grocery store shelves. "True Detective", where true crime addicts could get their fix:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Detective_(magazine)

https://archive.org/search.php?query=%22True%20Detective%20Mysteries%22

Interest in true crime was never greater than during the 1980s and 1990s. But tabloid television and red-on-black covered paperbacks were the medium of choice for the exploding audience

Can anyone say Jon Benet Ramsey or OJ Simpson?

https://gizmodo.com/the-long-life-and-quiet-death-of-true-detective-magazin-1725094095




There are dozens of white women who have gone missing since Gabby went missing and they aren't grabbing headlines. I have received Amber Alerts for local children who have gone missing and they aren't grabbing national headlines. (Both Amber Alerts were found safe) 99% of the Amber Alerts that I receive are for minorities. Hence police do take abduction of children who happen to be minorities seriously.

In a nutshell: A missing person is generally a local issue and should be covered by local media and pursued by local law enforcement.
Often these cases span several jurisdictions, but usually those jurisdictions tend to be surrounding counties etc.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

68. All those other threads trying to diminish her death are disgusting, people care

&t=35s

[Goodheart]

79. There is not enough "media" in this entire world to cover all those stories.

[BannonsLiver]

80. The other thread is sad and pitiful.

[BannonsLiver]

90. I can walk and chew gum at the same time.

That was the point. You don't need to withhold empathy from one, to have empathy for the others. There's nothing controversial about that.

[rollin74]

82. K & R. I agree

thank you for expressing this

[Caliman73]

92. How do you know people are upset about specifically that?

How do you know that people aren't upset by the disparity in media coverage between White women and women of color?

As others have said, "It is quite possible to feel empathy or sympathy for Petito and her family, while at the same time being upset/frustrated at the fact that White women get much more coverage of their situation than women of color. The expression of that frustration will typically come in the form of comparison between the prominent story and those stories that are rarely covered but it doesn't mean that people are saying that Petito should not be covered at all.