'Missing White Woman Syndrome' May Explain Media Frenzy Surrounding Gabby Petito Case

The case of Gabby Petito, a missing 22-year-old travel blogger who was found dead in Wyoming last weekend, is gripping the nation, with over 800 million hits about the case on TikTok alone. 

But now, many are asking why other missing persons cases are not being given similar attention. 

“The answer actually has a name: ‘missing white woman syndrome,’” MSNBC’s Joy Reid said. “To describe the media and public’s fascination with missing white women, like Laci Peterson or Natalee Holloway, while ignoring cases involving missing people of color.”

“I'm willing to bet that no one watching or listening can name one single black or brown woman who went missing who became a household name,” investigative reporter Mara Schiavocampo said.

An array of photos shows missing people in America who are not getting anything close to the attention Petitohas received.

“There are other names, like Kierra Coles. Names like Jelani Day, names like Daniel Robinson. Why don't you know those names? Well, those are people of color who've gone missing that didn't get the same media attention,” “Good Morning America” co-host T.J. Holmes said.

Now, the fascination with the Petito case is reigniting interest in some of the cases, with citizen sleuths turning their skills to digging for new clues.

“The amount of attention on Gabby’s case is opening the public’s eye to this issue and showing also how powerful the public can be,” Callahan Walsh of National Center for Missing and Exploited Children told Inside Edition.

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