Missing white woman syndrome is a term used by some social scientists and media commentators to denote perceived disproportionate media coverage, especially on television, of missing-person cases toward white females as compared to males, or females of color. Supporters of the phenomenon posit that it encompasses supposed disproportionate media attention to females who are young, attractive, white, and upper middle class. Although the term was coined in the context of missing-person cases, it is sometimes used of coverage of other violent crimes. Despite the popularity of the term “missing white woman syndrome,” there have been few empirical studies examining the subject. According to a single 2019 study, gender was a significant factor in media coverage of missing person cases. The study found that female victims receive more coverage overall, and national and out-of-state attention is even more skewed towards representing women. The 2019 study also found missing person cases involving White people received more media attention than those involving Black people.
Gabby Petito’s father, Joseph, has been doing his new series “Faces of the Missing,” which will highlight dozens of unsolved missing persons cases he says have received little media coverage. He has spent the last three years advocating for missing Black and Brown people through the Gabby Petito Foundation, a nonprofit that strives to raise awareness of missing people and prevent domestic violence.