National stories on missing people

[HomerJS]

The following people have been featured by the national media

Elizabeth Smart
Shasta/Dylan Grohne
Jennifer Wilbanks
Brennan Hawkins ? (Boy Scout missing Utah)
Natalie Halloway (Aruba)
George Smith ? cruise missing July 05

Some of the less recent but prominent stories

Chandra Levy
Lacy Peterson
Susan Smith (kids)


What do these people have in common? Are they all children, female, rich, famous? No.
I?m frustrated with the media?s racial bias when it comes to reporting missing people.
Now we have the latest national stories, Natalie Halloway missing in Aruba and George Smith missing from a cruise ship. Seems the only people reported on a national level are missing white people.

Since the media haven?t been doing their job, Reyna Gabriella Alvarado-Carrera(age 13) was reported missing 6 days prior to Natalie Halloway. Why no stories? The Reyna case should be more sympathetic then a 17 year old high school student on a luxury class trip, poorly supervised, underaged drinking and from all accounts voluntarily leaving with strangers. Where are all the alleged ?liberal media?? One would think they would occasionally be interested in some missing minorities.

In case the media are interested some cases they could run.

Chicago sisters. Diamond (3) and Tionda(10) Bradley disappeared July 2001
7-year-old Alexis Patterson disappeared in May 2002.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I've always wondered what made one missing person story more important than the other. I guess it's the amount of legs it has. How long will the story run, how well will the public percieve it, how much will our sponsors like this story. I think it goes back to the almighty dollar.
Here are 2 girls missing this year, why aren't they plastered over every goddamned news channel?
Missing girl 1
Missing girl 2

I just picked my state, female and 1 year, the same could be done 50 times, just for the missing girls. I hope they all get home safe

 

[Genx87]

And just how does that prove the media isnt liberal?

 

[cKGunslinger]

2000 US Census:

Total population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281,421,906 . . . . . 100.0

- One race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274,595,678 . . . . . . 97.6
- - - White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211,460,626 . . . . . . 75.1
- - - Black or African American . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,658,190 . . . . . . 12.3
- - - American Indian and Alaska Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,475,956 . . . . . . 0.9
- - - Asian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,242,998 . . . . . . 3.6
- - - Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander . . . . . . . . . . . . 398,835 . . . . . . 0.1
- - - Some other race. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,359,073 . . . . . . 5.5

Certainly no excuse, but it could be part of a possible explanation, I suppose.

 

[joshw10]

The American people love tragedies. We love to see people in situations we would never want to be in. We want to see mothers cry on TV. We want to hear about rape, murder, or natural disasters. We were glued to the TV after September 11, watching the same video clips and hearing the same information repeated over and over, for days. Meanwhile, the media kept raking in the ad revenue.

Remember - the American public can only concentrate on one tragic story at a time. People go missing every day, including children of all races. The media can only report one of these cases at a time, or the public gets confused, bewildered, loses interest and changes the channel to Friends or The O.C. There is usually a gap between media reports of these missing persons cases. This is because they need to keep the line open, so to speak, waiting to find just the right case so they don't jump the gun and fail to get everyone hooked on a story about a girl who wasn't quite pretty enough for national coverage, or has a name that's difficult to remember. And they hit the nail right on the head this time. An affluent white blonde girl, on the verge of adulthood yet not Barely 18, disappears on an island paradise, just as the rest of America is beginning to enjoy the warm weather and planning their own summer trips to beach destinations. The possibility of rape or even murder excites the public. Reporters unwillingly travel to Aruba for weeks at a time on the company tab, a place surely no human-being would want to spend their time.

The Natalee Holloway story is dying down despite every effort by Fox News and conservative media to keep the story fresh with rumors typically found only in a tabloid at the supermarket. Meanwhile, National Inquirer advertisements running on Fox News prime-time abruptly snap us out of our blank TV-watching glazed-over stares announcing information you won't believe about the Natalee Holloway MURDER is available in their latest issue.

 

[ExpertNovice]

Originally posted by: Genx87
And just how does that prove the media isnt liberal?

It doesn't. It actually could be used to provide another piece of evidence that the liberal in control are racist.

However, it is probably because someone yelled loud and long enough at the media to warrant reporting. If so, they certainly go in screaming about how racist the media is and in general getting everyone mad. (side note on this issue follows.)

A black male called into a talk show on the topic of prejudice. His wife came home complaining about the racist treatment that she received at a particular store. The next day he was telling a friend of his (a white male) about that store and his friend said he didn't think it was racial treatment because he had also been treated rudely there.

The man put on his nicest suit and went to the store. He said they treated him like royalty. His point was that it is how you approach people and act toward them that dictates the response. To anyone who says the way you act and dress should not dictate a response I suggest that you ask how you would respond to an individual walking up to you in a remote area of the parking lot when one is wearing a suit and the other is dressed up like a gang banger wearing a heavy overcoat on a summer day. If you would react differently and think others should react the same to your appearance. Well, you now understand the definition of hypocrite.

 

[HomerJS]

Originally posted by: ExpertNovice

Originally posted by: Genx87
And just how does that prove the media isnt liberal?

It doesn't. It actually could be used to provide another piece of evidence that the liberal in control are racist.

However, it is probably because someone yelled loud and long enough at the media to warrant reporting. If so, they certainly go in screaming about how racist the media is and in general getting everyone mad. (side note on this issue follows.)

A black male called into a talk show on the topic of prejudice. His wife came home complaining about the racist treatment that she received at a particular store. The next day he was telling a friend of his (a white male) about that store and his friend said he didn't think it was racial treatment because he had also been treated rudely there.

The man put on his nicest suit and went to the store. He said they treated him like royalty. His point was that it is how you approach people and act toward them that dictates the response. To anyone who says the way you act and dress should not dictate a response I suggest that you ask how you would respond to an individual walking up to you in a remote area of the parking lot when one is wearing a suit and the other is dressed up like a gang banger wearing a heavy overcoat on a summer day. If you would react differently and think others should react the same to your appearance. Well, you now understand the definition of hypocrite.

I would suggest to you the people who own the media are conservative.

Conservative news shows are running Natalie and George coverage to the point of nauseum. I'm sure news editors get information on all types of missing people. Is it just a coincidence that minorities don't get national attention or is there exclusion? If there is exclusion, why?

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: HomerJS

Originally posted by: ExpertNovice

Originally posted by: Genx87
And just how does that prove the media isnt liberal?

It doesn't. It actually could be used to provide another piece of evidence that the liberal in control are racist.

However, it is probably because someone yelled loud and long enough at the media to warrant reporting. If so, they certainly go in screaming about how racist the media is and in general getting everyone mad. (side note on this issue follows.)

A black male called into a talk show on the topic of prejudice. His wife came home complaining about the racist treatment that she received at a particular store. The next day he was telling a friend of his (a white male) about that store and his friend said he didn't think it was racial treatment because he had also been treated rudely there.

The man put on his nicest suit and went to the store. He said they treated him like royalty. His point was that it is how you approach people and act toward them that dictates the response. To anyone who says the way you act and dress should not dictate a response I suggest that you ask how you would respond to an individual walking up to you in a remote area of the parking lot when one is wearing a suit and the other is dressed up like a gang banger wearing a heavy overcoat on a summer day. If you would react differently and think others should react the same to your appearance. Well, you now understand the definition of hypocrite.

I would suggest to you the people who own the media are conservative.

Conservative news shows are running Natalie and George coverage to the point of nauseum. I'm sure news editors get information on all types of missing people. Is it just a coincidence that minorities don't get national attention or is there exclusion? If there is exclusion, why?

Why? Because they wont cover a person of color being abducted?

This is standard operating procedure of the left. When they need the minority vote head out to a church and take pictures. After the vote has been taken quietly ignore the promises made and tuck them under the bed for use near the next election.

We have gone over this a million times. Show me a democrat president who has had as diverse a cabinet as Bush.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

wapo

"Over eight years and 29 appointments, Clinton had in his Cabinet five women, seven African-Americans, three Hispanics (one of them named to two posts) and one Asian-American," Page wrote in USA Today on Dec. 10. "Over four years and 24 appointments, Bush has named to his Cabinet five women, four African-Americans, three Hispanics and two Asian-Americans."

Unless Bush goes on an affirmative action crusade . . . or rats start jumping off his debacle of an administration . . . Clinton wins the diversity parade by a hair . . . no Clarence Thomas jokes. Granted, there's a lot of double counting (Condilizzard is a woman AND black, Paige was a black AND retarded, Elaine Chao is a woman AND Asian). I think Bush definitely wins the minority woman prize though.

So I called the American Civil Rights Institute, Ward Connerly's conservative, anti-affirmative action group in California. And sure enough, it took issue with the White House suggesting that diversity is, in any way, shape or form, one of its goals.

Nothing like a mad, balding black Republican . . .

Bush has boasted how he has put together a diverse Cabinet of highly qualified individuals. Further, long before Bush began making Cabinet appointments, race and gender factored into his campaign strategies.

When I covered the first Bush presidential race in 2000, his campaign routinely plucked minorities out of audiences -- including a black high school student who attended an event in South Carolina for an extra-credit project -- and placed them strategically behind the candidate so they were included in photos and television shots.

I don't want to stray too far away from the thread topic. IMHO, the media (all forms) tends to emphasize images/stories that appeal to them. A pretty white woman or child is more likely to reflect the personal experiences of the people making headline decisions than poor people or minorities.

The Cosby Show (80s) was an aberration . . . Seinfeld and Friends is the norm. The dearth of stories on missing minorities is likely more benign neglect than true prejudice (ie story not newsworthy).

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
wapo

"Over eight years and 29 appointments, Clinton had in his Cabinet five women, seven African-Americans, three Hispanics (one of them named to two posts) and one Asian-American," Page wrote in USA Today on Dec. 10. "Over four years and 24 appointments, Bush has named to his Cabinet five women, four African-Americans, three Hispanics and two Asian-Americans."

Unless Bush goes on an affirmative action crusade . . . or rats start jumping off his debacle of an administration . . . Clinton wins the diversity parade by a hair . . . no Clarence Thomas jokes. Granted, there's a lot of double counting (Condilizzard is a woman AND black, Paige was a black AND retarded, Elaine Chao is a woman AND Asian). I think Bush definitely wins the minority woman prize though.

So I called the American Civil Rights Institute, Ward Connerly's conservative, anti-affirmative action group in California. And sure enough, it took issue with the White House suggesting that diversity is, in any way, shape or form, one of its goals.

Nothing like a mad, balding black Republican . . .

Bush has boasted how he has put together a diverse Cabinet of highly qualified individuals. Further, long before Bush began making Cabinet appointments, race and gender factored into his campaign strategies.

When I covered the first Bush presidential race in 2000, his campaign routinely plucked minorities out of audiences -- including a black high school student who attended an event in South Carolina for an extra-credit project -- and placed them strategically behind the candidate so they were included in photos and television shots.

I don't want to stray too far away from the thread topic. IMHO, the media (all forms) tends to emphasize images/stories that appeal to them. A pretty white woman or child is more likely to reflect the personal experiences of the people making headline decisions than poor people or minorities.

The Cosby Show (80s) was an aberration . . . Seinfeld and Friends is the norm. The dearth of stories on missing minorities is likely more benign neglect than true prejudice (ie story not newsworthy).

The BIG difference comes when you look at the most prominant positions, Department of State, Treasury, Defense and Justice. IIRC, this was a whites-only club under Clinton, and not so under Bush.

 

[bamacre]

I not only blame the media, but also the viewers. They only put on that which people will watch.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Originally posted by: bamacre
I not only blame the media, but also the viewers. They only put on that which people will watch.

Fair enough but that's only the case b/c our media is corrupted by the notion of profit. When I was a kid (I'm 32), I don't remember anyone "screaming" on TV. IIRC, even dramas or whatever had relatively few raised voices. Today, I doubt there's a single news source (aside from the NewsHour/PBS), where you don't hear two people screaming past one another. It's so noninformative to the point that it's a farce. Yet, it is packaged as "news", "information", when it scarcely even serves as "entertainment."

There's a reason why libraries stock MOST books (that they can afford) instead of a small number of books that MOST people read. Our current media culture has lost its way.

As for the Clinton minority/color code at State, Defense, Treasury, and AG . . .
STATE
Clinton: dead white man followed by white woman
Bush: invisible, mute black man followed by black woman
Verdict: BUSH

DEFENSE
Clinton: dead white man followed by white man that didn't want the job followed by white man that left the job for SF followed by white Republican
Bush: epitome of grumpy, old white man
Verdict: PUSH . . . although Republican was a borderline minority

TREASURY
Clinton: almost dead white man followed by the one of the liveliest white $$$ men alive
Bush: I won't even bother . . .
Verdict: CLINTON . . . merely b/c Bush versions where soooooooooo white

AG
Clinton: almost laughable search for a qualified woman that pays taxes on the nanny . . . culminated in a white woman that looked suspiciously like a white man
Bush: negative points for a white man with a sketchy civil rights history, positive points (barely) for Hispanic male . . . rarely claimed by other Hispanics except relatives
Verdict: CLINTON . . . if karyotyping of Reno confirms sex

But some don't think Bush deserves much credit. His appointments below the Cabinet level have included a lower proportion of blacks and women than in Clinton's administration.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc

Originally posted by: bamacre
I not only blame the media, but also the viewers. They only put on that which people will watch.

Fair enough but that's only the case b/c our media is corrupted by the notion of profit. When I was a kid (I'm 32), I don't remember anyone "screaming" on TV. IIRC, even dramas or whatever had relatively few raised voices. Today, I doubt there's a single news source (aside from the NewsHour/PBS), where you don't hear two people screaming past one another. It's so noninformative to the point that it's a farce. Yet, it is packaged as "news", "information", when it scarcely even serves as "entertainment."

There's a reason why libraries stock MOST books (that they can afford) instead of a small number of books that MOST people read. Our current media culture has lost its way.

Yup. And this is one reason I hardly ever watch TV anymore. In fact I spent more money on my computer monitor than my TV. I don't even have cable. Who needs it? All I need is the 'net for news, and my usb hard drive filled with simpsons/family guy/sanford&son episodes. :laugh:

 

[EyeMNathan]

The media isn't Liberal. The medis isn't Conservative. It's third party, "Scumocrats"

 

[arsbanned]

Originally posted by: ExpertNovice

Originally posted by: Genx87
And just how does that prove the media isnt liberal?

It doesn't. It actually could be used to provide another piece of evidence that the liberal in control are racist.

However, it is probably because someone yelled loud and long enough at the media to warrant reporting. If so, they certainly go in screaming about how racist the media is and in general getting everyone mad. (side note on this issue follows.)

A black male called into a talk show on the topic of prejudice. His wife came home complaining about the racist treatment that she received at a particular store. The next day he was telling a friend of his (a white male) about that store and his friend said he didn't think it was racial treatment because he had also been treated rudely there.

The man put on his nicest suit and went to the store. He said they treated him like royalty. His point was that it is how you approach people and act toward them that dictates the response. To anyone who says the way you act and dress should not dictate a response I suggest that you ask how you would respond to an individual walking up to you in a remote area of the parking lot when one is wearing a suit and the other is dressed up like a gang banger wearing a heavy overcoat on a summer day. If you would react differently and think others should react the same to your appearance. Well, you now understand the definition of hypocrite.

Ummmm. What?
what does this have to do with the OP?

Sheik Yerbouti
The girls you linked to are runaways. Are you suggesting Natalie Holloway ran off? Of the OP's list of 9, only one was a runaway (bride).

 

[Proletariat]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger

2000 US Census:

Total population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281,421,906 . . . . . 100.0

- One race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274,595,678 . . . . . . 97.6
- - - White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211,460,626 . . . . . . 75.1
- - - Black or African American . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,658,190 . . . . . . 12.3
- - - American Indian and Alaska Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,475,956 . . . . . . 0.9
- - - Asian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,242,998 . . . . . . 3.6
- - - Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander . . . . . . . . . . . . 398,835 . . . . . . 0.1
- - - Some other race. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,359,073 . . . . . . 5.5

Certainly no excuse, but it could be part of a possible explanation, I suppose.

That might be it.

LOL, I'm sort of wondering what the "some other race" is. Indians?

 

[HomerJS]

Don't want to get into a debate about Bush.

Based on cKGunslinger's stats we should see 1 out of 4 stories of missing minority people. Not looking for quotas but somewhere close to "fair and balanced".

Maybe the larger picture is people in power denying equitable access to minorities. Other examples 50% lower callback on blind resumes for "ethnic" first names. Many studies where actors go in to apply for jobs, financing, housing, etc. Black actors always come out with the lowest results even though the scripts are the same. Davah Pager completed a two year study about race and employment. Results a white male who has been to jail has a better chance getting a job then a black male with a clean record.

Something has to be done to change these attitudes. I don't know what but something has to change.

 

[DanceMan]

Originally posted by: HomerJS
Don't want to get into a debate about Bush.

Based on cKGunslinger's stats we should see 1 out of 4 stories of missing minority people. Not looking for quotas but somewhere close to "fair and balanced".

Maybe the larger picture is people in power denying equitable access to minorities. Other examples 50% lower callback on blind resumes for "ethnic" first names. Many studies where actors go in to apply for jobs, financing, housing, etc. Black actors always come out with the lowest results even though the scripts are the same. Davah Pager completed a two year study about race and employment. Results a white male who has been to jail has a better chance getting a job then a black male with a clean record.

Something has to be done to change these attitudes. I don't know what but something has to change.

Very good points. It is because of these studies and reports that I support policies like Affirmative Action.

 

[KidViciou$]

how the fvck could that dumbass elizabeth smart be "kidnapped"???? SHE WAS OUT IN GOD DAMN PUBLIC!!!! what a dumbass girl

i heard around the same time some black girl that was kidnapped, her captors tied her up and left her in an abandoned house. she broke out of her ropes and was able to get people to help rescue her, and she was only like 7 or 8. elizabeth was like 13. she needs to change her last name to dumbasstrick!

 

[arsbanned]

Salt Lake City -- Why didn't she run away? Why didn't she readily admit she was Elizabeth Smart when police found her with the couple who had allegedly held her captive for nine months? How could she walk by all those posters with her picture on them and not say anything?

These are the questions swirling since 15-year-old Elizabeth Smart was reunited with her parents in Salt Lake City and as evidence emerges that she stayed close to her captors even when they went to public places. Yet as perplexing as those questions seem, psychologists and other specialists are not surprised she didn't bolt.

''The bottom line is that there is an instinct for survival when you're subjected to frightening conditions,'' says Robert Prentky, a forensic psychologist in Bridgewater, Mass. ''Your instinct to survive is stronger than your instinct to hate your captor. It's a natural tendency.''

Study up. This is a well known condition. You guys hate her because she's white and was abducted and it was reported on. Classic blame the victim mentality. As if she had some hand in it. Keep that in mind when you grown up and have your own daughters.
http://www.rickross.com/reference/smart/smart13.html

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Originally posted by: arsbanned

Salt Lake City -- Why didn't she run away? Why didn't she readily admit she was Elizabeth Smart when police found her with the couple who had allegedly held her captive for nine months? How could she walk by all those posters with her picture on them and not say anything?

These are the questions swirling since 15-year-old Elizabeth Smart was reunited with her parents in Salt Lake City and as evidence emerges that she stayed close to her captors even when they went to public places. Yet as perplexing as those questions seem, psychologists and other specialists are not surprised she didn't bolt.

''The bottom line is that there is an instinct for survival when you're subjected to frightening conditions,'' says Robert Prentky, a forensic psychologist in Bridgewater, Mass. ''Your instinct to survive is stronger than your instinct to hate your captor. It's a natural tendency.''

Study up. This is a well known condition. You guys hate her because she's white and was abducted and it was reported on. Classic blame the victim mentality. As if she had some hand in it. Keep that in mind when you grown up and have your own daughters.
http://www.rickross.com/reference/smart/smart13.html

I don't subscribe to Kid's perspective but yours is equally bemusing. The woman held by the Atlanta court shooter is a "hero" and gets weeks of press. The little black girl that chewed through tape on her mouth, slithered out of her binds, and then reported them to the cops . . . received minimal attention.

The forensic psychologist you quote is a little confused. While our instincts are indeed strong and have natural inclinations, the interaction of those instincts with personality/experience is ultimately what determines our actions.

Smart: survival means do whatever it takes not to piss this guy off
Atlanta: survival means stay calm, talk to this arsehole like I care
little black girl: survival means get the fudge out of here

While all decent people are happy every female above came home safely . . . there's indeed a visceral reaction of being impressed by the adult, REALLY impressed by the little girl, and being less than impressed by Smart.

Unfortunately, our media did not reflect this perspective. The difference in the lead-in matters, but if you look at how the media treated these stories AFTER they were resolved . . . the newsworthiness was arguably the inverse of what most people would consider significant with regards to the person involved.

 

[assemblage]

Your perception about the news only reporting about white people doesn't make it not liberal. I guess your hypothesis is that missing person reporting is racist and therefore cannot be liberal because liberals cannot be racist.

 

[HomerJS]

Originally posted by: HomerJS
The following people have been featured by the national media

Elizabeth Smart
Shasta/Dylan Grohne
Jennifer Wilbanks
Brennan Hawkins ? (Boy Scout missing Utah)
Natalie Halloway (Aruba)
George Smith ? cruise missing July 05

Some of the less recent but prominent stories

Chandra Levy
Lacy Peterson
Susan Smith (kids)


What do these people have in common? Are they all children, female, rich, famous? No.
I?m frustrated with the media?s racial bias when it comes to reporting missing people.
Now we have the latest national stories, Natalie Halloway missing in Aruba and George Smith missing from a cruise ship. Seems the only people reported on a national level are missing white people.

Since the media haven?t been doing their job, Reyna Gabriella Alvarado-Carrera(age 13) was reported missing 6 days prior to Natalie Halloway. Why no stories? The Reyna case should be more sympathetic then a 17 year old high school student on a luxury class trip, poorly supervised, underaged drinking and from all accounts voluntarily leaving with strangers. Where are all the alleged ?liberal media?? One would think they would occasionally be interested in some missing minorities.

In case the media are interested some cases they could run.

Chicago sisters. Diamond (3) and Tionda(10) Bradley disappeared July 2001
7-year-old Alexis Patterson disappeared in May 2002.

An even more distrubing statistic. From a recent Dateline NBC program... There are 50,000 people on the FBI missing persons list. 30% are black. For those with On Demand I suggest replaying the program dated Aug 5.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Let's be honest, CNN (Nancy Grace) and FauxNews (Greta Van Sustren) devote essentially an entire program every weekday to the missing Alabama girl. Greta has ridden this story to her highest ratings ever . . . granted, that's still under 3 million. IMO, it just confirms that these networks hold minimal value to most Americans . . . except for entertainment. Personally, I think it's pretty sad what passes for news AND entertainment in this country.