(Image Source: Madame Noire)
BY SYDNEY MILLER
ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS
You're watching multisource U.S. video news analysis from Newsy.
Jhessye Shockley, an Arizona 5-year-old, is missing and some are criticizing the media for a lack of attention. This -- in comparison to missing Kansas City infant Lisa Irwin, who receives daily attention in the national media...
Shockley’s grandmother says the minimal coverage is a product of a pick-and-choose media.
JOHNSON: “If you’re African-American, or people with less money, they’re not going to look at it.” ANCHOR: Shirley Johnson is trying to expand the search for Jhessye by trying to canvas high profile areas, desperate to capture national attention. JOHNSON: “Glendale Police Department have not brought this to a forefront, they botched the investigation.”
Shockley’s story is the rule rather than the exception. Last year, there were over 38,000 active missing children cases, and yet, only a few of these cases received national attention.
Child alert system Radio Amber outlines what it says is the media’s criteria for missing child coverage.
“‘Typically, the victims are female: Without exception, they are white, and very pretty’…Most times black females as well as white and black males, do not get the national medias attention at all… Is the sensational ratings grabbing child case more important than the average case? I don’t think so.”
And many prominent blogs noticed a media bias as well --
Jezebel wrote a story with the headline, “Baby Lisa Lands People Cover; Other Missing Kid (Who Happens to be Black) Ignored”...
The Stir jumped in, writing “5-Year-Old Black Girl Disappears and No One Cares”, drawing similarities between the Shockley and Baby Lisa case.
And from Madame Noire: “No One Misses the Missing Black Girls”
ABC15 spoke with child advocate Paul Penzone, who says -- ‘let’s not jump to conclusions.’ But notes that many factors, including race, do factor into media coverage in these cases.
“I think it’s unfair right now, because it is the early stages, to say race is playing a factor role into the national coverage for Jhessye. But it does exist, so you have to consider that.” ANCHOR: “Penzone recognizes that social class, race, and even a parent’s checkered background can potentially impact the visibility of cases around the country.”
PENZONE: “I sure hope no one criticizes the family for feeling that way, because what they are doing is making sure that you don’t lose sight of the fact that this beautiful little girl is missing still.”
Jhessye has been missing for 11 days, and her grandmother says she will not stop until the case is a national story.
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