Episode 294: Gabby Petito and the "Missing White Woman Syndrome"

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the disappearance of Gabby Petito and the media frenzy that has ensued.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• The disappearance and death of aspiring influencer Gabby Petito has set off a national media frenzy, sparked in part by social media sleuths who unpacked the case in real time on TikTok. Natalia referred to this Buzzfeed article about the “influencer” angle on the case, and all of us drew on this NPR piece on “missing white woman syndrome.” Neil discussed the true crime podcasts Finding Cleo and Women of Juarez, and Natalia recommended journalist Connie Walker’s extensive work on violence against indigenous women. Natalia also referred to the American Murder episode about Shannan Watts, scholar Alyssa Smith’s work on the spectacle of violence in the true crime genre, and this WNYC segment about how to do “ethical true crime.”

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia recommended Monica Chin’s article for The Verge, “File Not Found.”
• Neil discussed George Holliday’s obituary, the man who filmed the Rodney King video, in the Los Angeles Times.
• Niki shared Jacob Soboroff and Ken Dilanian’s NBC article, “DHS Seeks Contractor to Run Migrant Detention Facility at Gitmo, Guards Who Speak Haitian Creole.”