Missing White Woman Syndrome Explained
How Missing White Woman Syndrome Negatively Impacted the True Crime Industry
These early awakened something deep within me that I feel like I was lost in the routine of content creation. The editing is crude, I take way too much, and the camera is blurry but the need to properly characterize this channel as one of one is seen. These first two episodes are the soul of my YouTube channel, the conversations I have in these episodes show the natural trajectory of this channel.
Let's dive into the concept of Missing White Woman Syndrome (MWWS) and how it plagues the True Crime genre. As a black woman immersed in true crime, let's unravel this phenomenon, spotlighting the Gabby Petito case and its broader implications.
Missing White Woman Syndrome isn't just a theory; it's a stark reality with tangible consequences, particularly for people of color. My goal for my content is to always shake up the narrative actively steering clear of the conventional focus on whiteness in the true crime space.
When talking about Missing White Woman Syndrome, we are forced to explore the societal principles at play, particularly the symbolic image of white women in the United States, and how that imagery plays a much bigger part in the foundation of our country than most realize. This isn't about disrespecting memories or overshadowing search efforts; it's about spotlighting systemic issues ingrained in our society, and how those systemic issues show up in the true crime space.
The Gabby Petito case and the way it captivated the world highlighted a pattern of racial inequalities when it comes to how a case is reported in the media. Media bias, especially in mainstream news, is undeniable particularly when it comes to violent crime. In these moments, independent news becomes incredibly important to challenge the status quo.
Illustrating these disparities, I highlighted cases like Evelyn Hernandez and the Cleveland Strangler, showcasing systemic negligence in cases involving people of color. The imbalanced attention given to cases on a racial basis is deliberate and demands an open conversation.