Joy Reid, of MSNBC’s The ReidOut, aired out white media on Monday night’s show. The journalist called out white news publications over their continuous coverage of Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito’s disappearance and the lack of coverage when Black people or other minority groups disappear.
The 52-year-old Brooklyn native didn’t hold back when she addressed the media’s “Missing White Woman Syndrome.”
“The way this story captivated the nation,” Reid told viewers, “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 Ifill to describe the media and public fascination with missing white women like Laci Peterson or Natalee Holloway while ignoring cases involving people of color.”
“No one is looking for us.” With all the coverage on the Gabby Petito case, Joy Reid calls out the media’s obsession with missing white women, and calls it “missing white woman syndrome”. pic.twitter.com/FPbA3bHjNq
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) September 21, 2021
Reid’s guest panelists Derrica Wilson of the Black and Missing Foundation and Lynette Grey Bull of Not Our Native Daughters Foundation referenced an open missing person’s case of a 24-year-old young Black man who disappeared after a car crash in Arizona in June.
And the women weren’t exaggerating. Per News Onyx, 24-year-old Daniel Robinson, a Black man, has been missing from Buckeye, Arizona, since June 23. Police have half-assed their search efforts, and the story has had little to no media coverage save for Black publications. Robinson’s father has set up a GoFundMe so that the family can continue its search efforts.
Petito’s disappearance has received non-stop coverage since she was reported missing on Sept. 11 after her estranged boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, returned home without her. The two had set out for a cross-country trek that ended with the FBI confirming that the body found on Sept. 20 in the Grand Teton’s was Petito’s. Laundrie was also never taken into police custody, even though circumstances surrounding Petito’s disappearance were shady as hell.
Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999. Coroner Blue’s initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results. pic.twitter.com/JoHenMZ9UU
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 21, 2021
Of course, some white people didn’t appreciate Reid’s in-your-face call out and took to Twitter to whine and gaslight her about her accurate indictment of white media.
Joy Reid has her own show. She should cover the stories she’s complaining about that aren’t getting enough attention.
Joy Reid IS the media that she complains about. She has “Missing White Woman Syndrome.”
Joy Reid is a racist.
— Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) September 22, 2021
I knew folks like Joy Reid would say this about the Petito case, but then why do activists like her ignore all the homicides happening in Chicago every week?
They have the power and the platform to highlight the grave injustices perpetrated on Black victims. Well, where is it? pic.twitter.com/Tw3GXJjFx4
— Melissa Chen (@MsMelChen) September 21, 2021
In Massachussetts a white woman is missing for a week. In Florida, a white University of Miami student is missing. In North Dakota native american women are missing monthly. You know when I’ll be impressed. When a black woman gets up there and says “Let’s make ALL women safe”.
— Davey (@BluesdaveDave) September 21, 2021
Others were looking for the lie and couldn’t find it.
She ain’t wrong. People still talk about Jon Benet to this day!!! Imagine if her name was Jon Benet Ramirez instead of Ramsey.
— SDV (@SDV1988) September 21, 2021
I don’t usually agree with her but I followed missing persons cases for years. POC people don’t even begin to get the attention that others do, even when POC are in charge of the cities that they go missing from. “Who killed Atlanta’s children” is a must read for all.
— Sherri James (@SherriJ47318877) September 21, 2021
She’s right tho… pic.twitter.com/rNOWyvE2nl
— The Notorious Maskjunky ? (@bamajunky) September 21, 2021
She’s not wrong. Every kidnapping/murder/crime etc. is terrible but when the media decides to focus on one, it is always a white woman, usually blonde.
— me (@apricotpeach11) September 21, 2021
“…Laci Peterson, Elizabeth Smart, JonBenet Ramsey, Jennifer “Runaway Bride” Wilbanks, Chandra Levy, Lori Hacking, Robyn Gardner, Natalee Holloway, all of them young, female, white, pretty — and imperiled.” https://t.co/OCDTK5FLWs
— Hal Corley (@Halcyon270) September 21, 2021
Ironically, Minnesota just passed a law on Sept. 20 that will create a task force missing and murdered Black women in the state. The bill was initiated by Rep. Ruth Richardson.
She shared the news on Twitter.
“There are 64K+ Black women & girls missing in the U.S. BW & girls are overrepresented in missing person cases, receive less media attention, & their cases remain open 4X longer than others. We are overdue for a community response. Proud my bill became law & ready to get to work.”
There are 64K+ Black women & girls missing in the U.S. BW & girls are overrepresented in missing person cases, receive less media attention, & their cases remain open 4X longer than others. We are overdue for a community response. Proud my bill became law & ready to get to work. pic.twitter.com/TtzytEIp6S
— Ruth Richardson (@RuthForHouse) September 21, 2021
It looks like Reid is definitely on the money, and other states need to follow Minnesota’s lead.
