Gabby Petito, and the victims left out of headlines

Post Reports

The Washington Post

Daily News, Politics, News

4.4 • 5.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 September 2021

⏱️ ? minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How Gabby Petito case galvanized sleuths across the Internet. And, how her disappearance and death highlight media failures in covering cases about missing women of color.

Washington Post “Tik Tok Guy” Dave Jorgenson explains the Internet’s fascination with Gabby Petito’s disappearance and how the online attention has magnified the media coverage of her case.

Plus, how the groundswell of news coverage has people wondering: What about other people who have gone missing — especially marginalized people and people of color? investigative reporter Connie Walker, host of “Stolen: The Search for Jermain” and other crime podcasts, explains the black hole of coverage when Indigenous people disappear.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Give a helping hand this holiday season with the Washington Post helping hand.
0:04.6	This is John Kelly and I'm writing about Bread for the City, Friendship Place, and Miriam's Kitchen over the next few weeks.
0:11.1	Go to posthelpinghand.com to learn more and donate today.
0:16.8	There's a case we've been hearing about a lot lately.
0:19.9	Gabby Petito, she disappeared earlier this month.
0:23.5	Her body was found last weekend in Wyoming.
0:31.0	Every true crime story has the opportunity to be about something bigger, to be about a bigger issue.
0:37.2	Connie Walker is a journalist and the host of a true crime podcast.
0:41.0	And for her, this story is also about the women of color who disappear and are never mentioned in the news.
0:47.3	Meanwhile, Gabby's name has been everywhere. On TV and newspapers, our resident TikTok expert Dave Jorgensen says it's been impossible to miss the case on social media.
0:58.2	Seems like everyone was hearing about it, especially on TikTok.
1:01.0	And that makes me feel really sad. As an Indigenous woman, it makes me feel sad.
1:04.6	It makes me question, you know, how are our stories valued in the media?
1:09.8	How are our lives valued in media and in society?
1:14.1	So many others have also gone missing. Black, brown, and trans people.
1:18.7	And in the same state where Gabby was found, hundreds of Indigenous women.
1:23.4	Why don't we know their names?
1:26.4	From the newsroom of The Washington Post, this is Post Reports.
1:30.4	I'm Emma Talkoff. It's Friday, September 24th.
1:44.9	We wanted to understand how this case got so much attention.
1:49.3	So we talked to two people who have followed this story from very different angles.
1:54.3	First, Dave Jorgensen. Then investigative reporter Connie Walker.
	...

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