SHIRLEY: Anthony a case of 'Missing White Woman Syndrome'

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9:00 PM, Jul. 9, 2011
By Stephen Shirley

I'm just going to admit on the front end that I don't understand the obsession with all things Casey Anthony.

Anthony, as most of you are no doubt aware, is the young woman who was found not guilty last week of murdering her daughter Caylee. Upon the announcement of the verdict in her trial, my Facebook and Twitter feeds absolutely blew up as my friends posted their shocked outrage. Coverage of the verdict led off all of the nightly news shows and cable TV had a field day looking at every real and imagined angle to the story.

Meanwhile, I tried my best to find a Casey-free zone of existence. I skipped over all the Facebook posts about what a horrible mother she was. I changed the channel if the news was covering the verdict in her trial. And I turned the page past any newspaper coverage that even hinted about what the future holds for her. It was difficult avoiding being inundated by the torrent of coverage, but I quite simply didn't care about the details of this case.

But a lot of my friends did care. They invested a lot of time and energy into following the details of the case and the trial itself. They were somehow emotionally connected to the story and wore those emotions on their sleeves at the conclusion of the trial.

Why?

What was so important about this story to deserve the coverage it received? How were the characters so compelling? Why was the interest so intense and the coverage so expansive?

To a large degree, I believe this story is about escapism. The sensational nature of the story and the media's eagerness to trumpet every detail meant outsiders could follow along every step of the way. The public was all too willing to lose itself in the story as it unfolded. Followers could also escape into the idea that they were superior to Anthony both as a parent and as a person.

But the media coverage surrounding the disappearance of Caylee Anthony and the subsequent coverage of the Casey Anthony trial goes beyond just simple escapism. This storyline dovetailed into a growing phenomenon known as "Missing White Woman Syndrome" where the media and public tend to focus on "damsels in distress." These damsels, most often young, attractive, white females, often receive incredible amounts of coverage while cases involving minority females or even boys of any ethnicity are often overlooked.

To illustrate this phenomenon, try this little game of name recognition: Caylee Anthony. Laci Peterson. Natalee Holloway. Elizabeth Smart. Susan Smith. Jon Benet Ramsey.

Chances are, you know most, if not all, of these names.

Now let's try a second list: Mya Lyons. LaToyia Figuerosa. Kenia Monge. Yasmine Acree. Shaquan Duley.

How many of the names from the second list did you recognize? Probably none. Before researching this topic, I hadn't heard of any of them either.

The difference in the second list of names, despite being nearly identical in every aspect to the corresponding name in the first list, is that they are all minorities. The stories of these girls and young women didn't receive anywhere near the level of attention that the individuals in the first list received.

That's unfortunate.

The abduction or murder of any person, male or female, young or old, white or black or brown, deserves reasonable attention. It shouldn't matter how attractive the victims are or how wealthy their families are. The media can play an important role of broadcasting information that can lead to the return of the victim and/or the apprehension of the perpetrator. But that opportunity is lost when one or two cases dominate the media coverage.

So before the next Nancy Grace mystery investigation comes along, let's remember all of those children who didn't receive the cable news onslaught. Their stories deserve the same level of justice and attention.

Murfreesboro resident Stephen Shirley is a former community member of The DNJ Editorial Board. Reach him at stephenashirley@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/StephenAShirley.

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LAST UPDATED: July 10, 2011
by myself and Caty.