Why Missing African-Americans Get No Respect

I'm going to try to make this real quick because I've got a lot I need [Is anybody working??? What's that you say? January 7th? M'kay.] to be doing right now and because I dropped the ball and didn't do this last night. I listened to Russ Parr and the crew yesterday talking about people who have seemingly disappeared off the face of this Earth. They discussed the fact that African-Americans account for the majority of active missing persons cases and yet receive the smallest amount of coverage in mainstream/national media.

People called up with various and sundry complaints and plausible explanations, including the fact that they thought the white girls who are reported come from more wealthy families, the fact that they are white holds more weight to mainstream media and the old standby "nobody cares about Black people". All of those things are probably true, but check this. If the local media doesn't report those missing persons stories vigorously, the national media never will....

CNN, MSNBC and Fox don't just magically receive information about missing persons. They get those stories from the coverage generated by a person's local media outlets which then trickles--up--to the national media after the stories have been put on the wire and sent through satellite video feeds, etc. If you live in a place where there is a missing person and your local media isn't reporting it, you need to blast them every.single.day. Call them up and implore them to report the story. Call your local newspapers and radio stations, etc. THEN, mount your attack to the cable news networks if it doesn't seem as if you are getting any results.

This is what anyone reading this needs to realize. If the local stations [which are affiliates of the big boys] haven't reported those stories, the networks don't really feel inclined to do so either. They think you are just some kook calling up about a runaway family member. Those local stations and the networks are highly driven by ratings and revenue generated by ad sales...local ad sales during the local newscasts is where you can really put a dent in this problem. It wouldn't take a whole lot to establish a grassroots effort right in your community to let those advertisers [I mean seriously, it's usually just car dealerships, furniture stores, grocers, etc. at the local level...don't call up Geico all willy nilly...those are national ads and it will take more to chop those giants down, but you can damn sure get Ray's Furniture Barn/Depot/Outlet to hear you] know that you have a problem with the fact that WXYZ has failed to report on this missing woman/child/man and you are getting together a boycott of those stores until they make a call to those stations and let them know what's really good.

The whole issue of throwing sand at the networks for failing to report on the stories of missing African-Americans while the scumbag local affiliates hide away and let them take it is one of the biggest bamboozlements of all time. They [local affiliates] know what needs to be done to get greater exposure for those stories. It's time you all let them know that you know too... --SUGAR

Comments

[Hostess]

Another thing folks might wanna do is once they get the story on a local station, don't stop badgering them. I hear about missing folks--ONCE. Then never mentioned again.

[Lord Hannibal]

I think that at one time there was some validity to this, but lately, can't say I've noticed much difference. Nailah Franklin's story was all over the news. The story of two other black women who were killed and burned in Chicago has been all over the news, also.

I think that as much as race, class and appearance have a lot to do with whether or not a woman's disappearance gets media coverage. Maybe even more so.

[Miz JJ]

I don't think you'll ever see a black woman get the kind of media coverage of Natalie Holloway, Chandra Levy or Laci Peterson. However, I think putting pressure on news organizations can't hurt. Let them know our dollars buy things too and we want our stories published.

[glory]

never thought about it that way!

but i do still think that "pretty" people get more attention. i don't think i've seen too many (if any) regular missing people on the news. but commercial model-type faces get shown all. the. time.

[SUGAR]

Glory, most definitely we are more inclined towards more attractive people. I say this as a woman who is very attractive, yet humble ;) in her own right. However, when the FBI has just over 45,000 active cases of missing men/women/children and African-Americans make up a third of those? There is no way all of those sisters are busted. I just don't believe that. Google it and see the numbers for yourself. Better yet, check out this MSNBC article from 2005. We aren't getting equal coverage and that's just all there is to it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8233195/

[glory]

oh yeah - now way they're all busted. but we also know blond trumps brunette. fair trumps brown or dusky. skinny trumps chunky. and rich and stylish trumps broke and ghetto fabulous.

that cuts a lot of "us" out right there.

[Saving Our Children]

Our Nation is in a state of emergency. Every 40 seconds a child is reported missing in the United States. Of these missing children, 33 percent are African American children who are being torn from their families. It is crucial that the African American Community in our country become more involved in the safety of these precious children. There are astronomical numbers of abused, missing and murdered African American children that fail to get the needed exposure in the media. Very rarely are their precious little faces posted on milk cartons and bulletin boards, or reported on network and cable news shows.

Our mission is to make the African American communities in our country aware of the plight of these children and to make them a community/national priority.

I thank you for this post.

[Sugar]

Not a problem at all Saving Our Children. I think it's wonderful what you all are doing. Thank you for your effort in helping our little ones have a voice.