Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

What about missing people besides Natalee Holloway (Vanity)
N/A | N/A | N/A

Posted on 07/12/2005 7:02:44 PM PDT by af_vet_rr

I have a friend who works with a Texas state agency that deals with missing people. To say they are frustrated by the amount of coverage Natalee Holloway, the runaway fiancee, Laci Peterson, etc., generate, while the families they work with are ignored by the MSM, would be an understatement.

To quote her (she does read and post on FR, however she has deliberately refrained from participating in these missing persons discussions since it's close to her job): I can survey 20 people on the street, about a missing teen from Alabama, and many will immediately name Natalee Holloway. If I were to ask them to name just one person out of the several that went missing in their community over the past week, I doubt they could name even one. It's not their fault, it's the press' fault for deciding that somebody missing from several states over, in another country, is more interesting than somebody missing in their own community."

With upwards of a million people going missing in America every year, I'm sure there is more than one Freeper that knows of somebody missing, that doesn't get national coverage and I'd like to hear their thoughts.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: missing; missingpersons; natalee; nataleeholloway
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last
This maybe better suited for the lounge..
1 posted on 07/12/2005 7:02:45 PM PDT by af_vet_rr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: af_vet_rr

Its the media, you never use to get missing people stories, now its all the rage, with the hundreds of thousands of people missing we only here about two or three.

Its the same with Terri getting taken off life support system, we never heard anything about that hospital that pulled the plug on the family that couldnt pay the bills.

I guess if you have conntections in the media you get your story on tv.


2 posted on 07/12/2005 7:06:48 PM PDT by mikenash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: af_vet_rr

It's media driven drivel. No intrigue, no media.


3 posted on 07/12/2005 7:07:12 PM PDT by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: af_vet_rr

I think you're nuts. There are no missing people in the world other than Natalee Holloway, or whomever FoxSnooze/MSNBC/CNN/ABC/CBS/NBC/Sensationalist Tabloid News Sources cover 24/7/365/infinity.


4 posted on 07/12/2005 7:07:55 PM PDT by xrp (Fox News Channel should rename itself the Missing Persons Network)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: af_vet_rr

It helps to be a pretty missing person in a beautiful location where the reporters can really get into the local scenery as they cover the story. You know, it might be more diffucult to have the international press corp to camp out at the Holiday Inn in Abilene, TX during 100 weather.


5 posted on 07/12/2005 7:10:39 PM PDT by myprecious
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mikenash
I guess if you have conntections in the media you get your story on tv.

That must be it.

Think about it. Something like 350,000+ kids are abducted by close members of their family or friends every year. The same number (or close enough) run away.

You and I are not going to help solve Natalee's case, because we don't live in Aruba, don't hang out in the places she was hanging out, etc.

However, you and I do go in the local grocery store, we go into the local mall. If we actually heard about some of the missing people in our communities, there is a chance we could run into some of these people.
6 posted on 07/12/2005 7:11:16 PM PDT by af_vet_rr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: af_vet_rr

Well, in fact none of these stories are actually "national" news. They're local stories that, in the days before 24/7 news networks never would have gotten beyond the local news channel. With the advent of 24/7 news channels they now have many hours to fill every day, and so they pick up local stories and run them as national news.

The 24/7 networks only do it as "infotainment" and only have bandwidth to deal with two or maybe three "real-time murder mysteries" at any one time, so they cherry-pick the stories that they can get the most mileage out of.


7 posted on 07/12/2005 7:13:17 PM PDT by Ramius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: myprecious
It helps to be a pretty missing person in a beautiful location where the reporters can really get into the local scenery as they cover the story. You know, it might be more diffucult to have the international press corp to camp out at the Holiday Inn in Abilene, TX during 100 weather.

Too true.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a reporter that volunteers to cover a story about somebody going missing in a bad part of town, or in a miserable environment, but quietly mention "anybody want to goto the Caribbean to cover some missing teenager", and half the building will hear you and be on their knees begging and pleading to cover the case.

It's bad for her family that she is missing, but is shows you just how far the MSM has sunk.
8 posted on 07/12/2005 7:15:28 PM PDT by af_vet_rr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: af_vet_rr

That`s Foxnews for you, the "fair and balanced" network where only white girls get kidnapped, go missing or get murdered. But what do you expect from a network that only has white newscasters?


9 posted on 07/12/2005 7:16:25 PM PDT by EdHallick (In Spain the have the running of the bulls, in France they have the running of the away.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: af_vet_rr
" the families they work with are ignored by the MSM "

Tough assignment those reporters face down there, big risk the networks take running images all day of a sexy 18 y/o blond and Aruba.

Why is this difficult to understand?

10 posted on 07/12/2005 7:17:45 PM PDT by elfman2 (This space is intentionally left blank)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ramius
Well, in fact none of these stories are actually "national" news. They're local stories that, in the days before 24/7 news networks never would have gotten beyond the local news channel. With the advent of 24/7 news channels they now have many hours to fill every day, and so they pick up local stories and run them as national news.

Unfortunately, they feed these stories right back to the local affiliates, which drowns out more important local stories.
11 posted on 07/12/2005 7:19:28 PM PDT by af_vet_rr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Ramius
I think that's a bunch of hogwash. You say it is because there is a dearth of news during the 24/7 newsday. If that is so, then why does Fox News cover it on O'Reilly, Hannity and Colmes AND Greta EVERY DAY just as Joe Scarborough does and many other "specialty" shows out there? If it were CNN Headline News reporting it at the top of the hour, every hour, I'd agree with you. However, it isn't. In fact, they really aren't even the news media anymore. They aren't reporting news. They are sensationalizing. News is the eminent domain ruling by the Supreme Court. News is the leaking US border. News is the war in Iraq (dearth of Iraq news lately, because there is less bad news to cover, so they don't cover the good news). Yet this isn't given NEAR the in depth coverage that Natalee/Scott Peterson/Runaway Bitch/Whomever is given.

Right now it is 20 minutes into Joe Scarborough, ALL coverage of the Aruba Missing Teen and Joe is spewing some crap about "the eyes of America" and other worthless garbage. It looks like Joe might cover this Aruba story for his entire show, AGAIN! Joe used to have a quality show when he covered newsworthy things. Now he's trying to compete with Greta Van Helsing.

12 posted on 07/12/2005 7:19:43 PM PDT by xrp (Fox News Channel should rename itself the Missing Persons Network)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: af_vet_rr
I'm sure there is more than one Freeper that knows of somebody missing, that doesn't get national coverage and I'd like to hear their thoughts.

I don't know anyone missing at this time (and thankfully can't remember anyone in my past), but I can imagine the feelings of anyone going through such a loss (I lost my mine to death a few years ago).

I hope that media coverage of even a few missing persons, and other atrocities, helps to make people aware that some changes are needed.

13 posted on 07/12/2005 7:21:34 PM PDT by easonc52
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EdHallick

You were saying?

14 posted on 07/12/2005 7:21:47 PM PDT by shezza (God Bless Our Troops)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: easonc52
I hope that media coverage of even a few missing persons, and other atrocities, helps to make people aware that some changes are needed.

And I'm OK with it because of the 'out of sight, out of mind' thing.

15 posted on 07/12/2005 7:23:36 PM PDT by easonc52
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: mikenash
I guess if you have conntections in the media you get your story on tv

So, Laci Peterson had WHAT connections in the media?

Lori Hackling had WHAT connections in the media?

For that matter, WHAT connections in the media does Natalie have?

16 posted on 07/12/2005 7:38:57 PM PDT by softwarecreator (Facts are to liberals as holy water is to vampires)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: xrp

What's a bunch of hogwash? I don't think we actually disagree at all. They cover this stuff because it is *easy*, not because they really need to.


17 posted on 07/12/2005 8:10:33 PM PDT by Ramius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: softwarecreator

Just saying there are hundreds of thousands of people missing and people go missing each and every day, why does the media only pick a few?

Its sad for the families and loved ones, but I dont think all the missing people stories deserve as much as coverage as they get.

Tell me about Iraq.
Tell me about Social sercuity.
Tell me about the supreme court
Tell me about the Plame case
Dont tell me about Tom cruise getting squirted with a water gun.
Don tell me about Janet's boobie.

Report real news.


18 posted on 07/12/2005 8:10:33 PM PDT by mikenash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: softwarecreator

Just saying there are hundreds of thousands of people missing and people go missing each and every day, why does the media only pick a few?

Its sad for the families and loved ones, but I dont think all the missing people stories deserve as much as coverage as they get.

Tell me about Iraq.
Tell me about Social sercuity.
Tell me about the supreme court
Tell me about the Plame case
Dont tell me about Tom cruise getting squirted with a water gun.
Don tell me about Janet's boobie.

Report real news.


19 posted on 07/12/2005 8:10:41 PM PDT by mikenash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: mikenash
Tell me about Iraq.
Tell me about Social sercuity.
Tell me about the supreme court
Tell me about the Plame case
Dont tell me about Tom cruise getting squirted with a water gun.
Don tell me about Janet's boobie.

Report real news.

Yeah, I agree ... they should leave the fluff for shows like "Extra" and report the "news".  The real news, however, not their version of it.

Ummm ... personally, they could show boobies anytime they want.  =)

20 posted on 07/12/2005 8:18:27 PM PDT by softwarecreator (Facts are to liberals as holy water is to vampires)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson