Missing Persons, and the Media.

[Abu Taj al Deen]

Obviously when someone goes missing, it going to be hard on everyone who knew him/her.
And again, obviously seeing their face plastered all over the media coupled with the word missing would be hard to swallow in even the most hopeful of circumstances.
Though, of course I see the benefit behind the media's role in a disappearance. To create awareness, have people keeping their eyes open and hopefully coming forward with useful information.

Though, on Twitter in recent days I did speak to someone who went to school with Danielle Hibbert (click here) who seemed quite, disturbed (for lack of a better term) at how little media coverage her disappearance was getting, and seemed to think that this simple fact could have actually hindered finding her as less people may be coming forward than usual with useful information.

This kind of made me wonder, what makes one person's disappearance more newsworthy than someone else's.

Take Bung, from Boronia - or even Allison Baden-Clay (who was being reported by everyone for a solid threeish weeks earlier in the year) and compare it to some 'lower profile' disappearances.

So what are your thoughts?
Do you believe the media play a beneficial roles in the investigations of missing persons?
Do you believe the media should back further away to prevent causing pain to families/friends?
And why do you think disappearance A, could be more reportable than disappearance B?

 

[Fergal]

what makes one person's disappearance more newsworthy than someone else's

Perhaps some of it comes down to the efforts made by the family and friends of the missing person to publicise their case. When I see missing persons details posted on FaceBook I always repost them, as do a lot of other people. If the family make a big effort to publicise the case it is likely to gain some momentum lading to a snowball effect in social media and traditional media coverage.

I don't mean to be cruel, but I would say that someone who is homeless and who doesn't have a close network of family and friends, would generate less publicity in the event that they go missing, than someone who goes missing and who has a large circle of family and friends who get busy putting up posters, contacting the media and spreading the word on social media.

 

[Deleted member 1609]

I hate to say this because it will seem very mean, but I think it has to be said: I think that rich people or children with rich parents tend to get far more media attention than others. Look at Madeline McCann. Her disappearance was in the British media for ages from what I understand, and it was so widely publicized that we even heard about it in the U.S. media for months. It seems to me that her parents aren't exactly strapped for cash. When is the last time that you heard about a missing child in the media whose parents do fries at McDonalds?

That's not to say that any child's disappearance is unworthy of media attention, of course. I'm just saying that it's extremely unfair that some missing children, possibly due to the wealth of their parents, get more media attention than others.

 

[David]

You make it sound like as if the media is an objective medium of information. It's not. It's a business, a company, people's lives. Politics play a part in it, big corporations spend millions to get people watching. People pay thousands to get their story told.

You can't blame the media for bringing attention to one missing person over another. You can't expect a business to go out of their way to help your concerns. They must make business decisions because that's what they are - a business.

And realistically, there is no way the media can present news on everyone's disappearance.

 

[Deleted member 1609]

And realistically, there is no way the media can present news on everyone's disappearance.

I didn't mean to imply that there was. I'm just pointing out that they focus so much on some disappearances that you'd think they're the only people in the world who are missing.

 

[David]

And realistically, there is no way the media can present news on everyone's disappearance.

I didn't mean to imply that there was. I'm just pointing out that they focus so much on some disappearances that you'd think they're the only people in the world who are missing.

Oh, it wasn't directed towards you, but I can see how you saw that.

I agree with you and yes it's unfortunate, however, because the media are businesses, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think they are only thinking about their capital gain on these news stories. And because of this, it makes it unfeasible to show every missing story, even if everyone offered a large amount of money - the most popular and most expensive story will usually run.

 

[Deleted member 1609]

Yeah, it's an unfortunate reality.

 

[Gimgak]

Goes to figure that the media is also much more likely to promote a missing persons case where its likely a body will be found. A dead child brings in more viewers than a smiling one.

 

[wyldeflower]

I hate to say this because it will seem very mean, but I think it has to be said: I think that rich people or children with rich parents tend to get far more media attention than others. Look at Madeline McCann. Her disappearance was in the British media for ages from what I understand, and it was so widely publicized that we even heard about it in the U.S. media for months. It seems to me that her parents aren't exactly strapped for cash. When is the last time that you heard about a missing child in the media whose parents do fries at McDonalds?

That's not to say that any child's disappearance is unworthy of media attention, of course. I'm just saying that it's extremely unfair that some missing children, possibly due to the wealth of their parents, get more media attention than others.

They have Rich people backing them and also they raise funds through media appearances etc .What you said was true if you are poor you dont get the same amount of attention..I would like Madaleine to be found though allthough nothing has happend yet regarding any sightings etc..I allways think its sad when children go missing ..