Media and The Missing

January 28, 2008

The problem isn’t that they receive media attention, the problem is that the media becomes so absorbed in certain cases that it fails to cover cases of other missing persons. Time is of vital importance when a person goes missing, kidnapped or a murder is unsolved. The police need all the leads that they can get in order to try to solve the case. The best chance for getting the person back safely, if it’s a kidnapping, passes quickly. The media can play a huge role in helping get police leads, people who might have seen the missing person can give the police tips that can help find that person. When the media fails to cover a missing person case in favor of running more and more coverage about just one missing person, they’re limiting the effectiveness of the search.

A few questions I have: Is it all about sensationalism and ratings for the media. Is this the standard for media covering a missing person: Pretty, white damsels in distress draw viewers; missing women who are black, Latino, Asian, old, fat, or ugly do not. What about the many missing men that we never see in the media. What can we do to change this, to make sure that all missing persons get some coverage.

Hopefully we can help make a change. When we become aware of a missing individual that goes unreported, while the media locks its eye on another who represents their version of “newsworthy,” we will do all we can to make sure the voices of others who are missing are heard.

We need to help make the public aware of the disastrous epidemic of missing persons. If you have a loved one missing contact us so we can help get the information out there. Help Find The Missing

~ UPDATED ~
Current as of the October 31, 2007 indexing
~
According to the FBI-NCIC there are (approximately)
106, 062
Missing Persons listed in their system. Children and Adult.

There are (approximately)
6,862
Unidentified Persons listed in their system.
Children and Adults.

Statistics - provided by the FBI-NCIC for media relations — USA & Canada

Written by HFTM · Filed Under Media Watch, Media and the Missing 

Comments

One Response to “Media and The Missing”

  1. Wheezer on January 29th, 2008 2:09 pm

    Excellent Article.
    I have never understood why some are profiled, and others go virtually unheard of.

    I want to believe that looks, race, gender, or status play no part, but the reality is that it does.

    Nine times out of ten when the news is all over a missing person, that person tends to be a young white female. Yes there are exceptions(not enough). There has got to be a way to change this. We need some kind of National Television Channel that profiles ALL missing persons. To hell with race, gender, looks, and occupation(how many prostitutes have gone missing that we never hear of). When you look at the number of missing people in this country, it is outrageous. If those kind of numbers were happening due to illness there would be a National outcry for a remedy. Yet, we have human beings disappearing and most never make it into the public eye.

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