Why does the US media often neglect missing people of color?

The balance of coverage between missing white Americans and missing Americans of color appears tragically skewed

An illustrated image of hands pointing at a white marble, ignoring non-white marbles
(Image credit: Illustrated / Getty Images)

Joran van der Sloot, the suspect in Natalee Holloway's death, will be extradited to the United States on charges related to her disappearance. His extradition comes nearly 18 years after Holloway vanished on the island of Aruba and more than a decade after she was declared legally dead.

Though years have passed, the media fervor surrounding Holloway's disappearance has never truly stopped, and her case has been adapted into numerous true crime series and made-for-TV films. For some, the incessant coverage of Holloway is a prime example of "Missing White Woman Syndrome," a term coined by the late journalist Gwen Ifill, who said, "If there's a missing white woman you're going to cover that, every day." (Additional research has shown "Missing White Woman Syndrome" can also apply to men and especially children.)

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Justin Klawans, The Week US

 Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.