MSNBC Host Says Gabby Petito's Media Coverage is a Case of 'Missing White Woman Syndrome'

Landon Mion | September 21, 2021 5:30 PM

MSNBC's Joy Reid alleged that the widespread media coverage of Gabby Petito's disappearance is evidence of "missing white woman syndrome."

During her Monday show, Reid claimed that, although Petito's family deserved "answers and justice," she believed the media does not give the same amount of coverage to racial minorities that go missing.

"It goes without saying that no family should ever have to endure that kind of pain," Reid said. "And the Petito family certainly deserves answers and justice. But the way this story has captivated the nation has many wondering, why not the same media attention when people of color go missing?"

"Well, the answer actually has a name: Missing White woman syndrome. The term coined by the late and great Gwen Iffil to describe the media and public fascination with missing White women like Laci Peterson or Natalee Holloway, while ignoring cases involving missing people of color," she continued, referring to two well-known cases of missing women.

MSNBC’s Joy Ann Reid: Media reporting Gabby Petito’s disappearance/presumed murder is symptom of "Missing White Woman Syndrome." pic.twitter.com/UYAWgaDyYr
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 21, 2021

MSNBC is no exception to the national media's extensive coverage of the Petito case as they have given the story ample coverage and its website Monday morning featured an opinion piece on the missing 22-year-old woman.

Reid then proceeded to highlight several instances in which missing black and Native American people did not receive the same media attention as the Petito case.

She also referenced the Black and Missing Foundation's data that suggests missing women of color do not receive the same media attention as missing white women because missing racial minorities have often been labeled as runaways, minority adults have been considered to be associated with crime, and that minorities are dismissed due to beliefs that most of their lives are lived in poverty and crime.

Reid concluded by claiming that missing non-white women do not receive as much coverage because they do not look like the female relatives of white middle-aged males that run newsroom executives.