The disappearance and subsequent news coverage of Florida 'van-life' woman Gabby Petito was panned by MSNBC host Joy Reid Monday as a clear-cut case of 'missing white woman syndrome.'
'It goes without saying that no family should ever have to endure that kind of pain,' Reid began Monday on her program, The ReidOut, referring to the highly publicized case of the missing 22-year-old social media influencer whose fiancé returned from their viral cross-country excursion without her.
'But the way this story has captivated the nation has many wondering - why not the same media attention when people of color go missing?'
'Well, the answer actually has a name,' the newscaster continued, 'missing white woman syndrome.'
MSNBC host Joy Reid dismissed the widespread coverage of missing 22-year-old van-life girl Gabby Petito as a case of 'missing white woman syndrome'
Reid credited the term to the 'late and great' journalist Gwen Ifill, and said the phenomenon outlines ' the media and public fascination with missing white women.'
She cited other high-profile coverage of searches for white women who were later found dead like Laci Peterson or Natalie Holloway - 'while ignoring cases involving missing people of color.'
The host then brought on two panelists - Derrica Wilson of the Black and Missing Foundation, and Lynette Grey Bull of the Not Our Native Daughters Foundation - to discuss people of color who went missing but the media ignored because they were not white.
Gabby Petito, the missing 22-year-old social media influencer whose fiancé returned from their viral cross-country 'van-life' excursion without her, was reported missing September 11
Reid referenced the still-unsolved case of geologist Daniel Robinson, a 24-year-old black man who went missing after he was last seen on June 23 driving home from a remote job site in the Arizona desert, as an example of the disparity of news coverage.
Reid said she had 'never heard of it until this friend of mine sent it to me. And I guess, that's the issue, isn't it?'
'It is definitely the issue,' Wilson responded, adding that cases where people of color go missing, regardless of age or gender, are not taken seriously.
'One of the main factors and one of the key factors that a lot of people don’t want to talk about is that it’s racism,' Bull added.
'It’s systemic racism.'
The panel went on to discuss the case of Mary Johnson, a Native American woman who went missing from the a reservation in Washington state in November - whom the FBI is now offering $10,000 for information regarding her disappearance.
'I`d never heard of this case, either,' Reid said.
The nation's captivation surrounding the cases of Laci Peterson (left) and and Natalee Holloway (right) are prime examples of 'missing white woman syndrome,' according to Reid
Meanwhile, another black news anchor on rival network CNN also thrust race into the investigation of the Petito case on Monday.
Don Lemon suggested that the skin color of Petito's now-missing fiance Brian Laundrie - who is white - allowed him the 'privilege' of not talking to police during the early investigation into her disappearance.
Laundrie's family members were instructed by their attorney not to talk to the authorities, which Lemon attributed to 'privilege.'
'You ask any person of color, you ask a black man who - if they have that sort of privilege,' the newscaster said Monday night.
Reid referenced the still-unsolved case of geologist Daniel Robinson, a 24-year-old Black man who went missing earlier this year on June 23 after leaving a remote job site in the Arizona desert, as an example of the disparity of news coverage between races
Reid also suggested the disproportionate media coverage between missing white women and non-white women can be attributed to several determining factors, such as: missing minorities being classified as runaways, minority adults being labeled as criminals, and minorities' situations being dismissed by the public due to assumed notions of crime and poverty eclipsing their actual lives.
Reid also suggested that missing women of color are not paid attention to as much by the public because of their appearance, and that they do not look like the daughters or granddaughters of newsroom executives.
Social media users were swift to comment on Reid's outburst.
'Wow - this young girl documented her entire trip and if she had lived her intention was to continue documenting her life of travel,' one Twitter user wrote. 'THAT's why the story of her disappearance has captivated the world - sad that it has to be reported by this woman in this way.'
'The woman was an influencer with a following, which is why it got more attention,' another user pointed out.
Social media users were swift to offer their thoughts on Reid's comments concerning race
But some backed the newscaster's view.
'The story isn’t as salacious as the headline,' one user Tweeted. 'It was done in good taste and if the subject matter strikes a nerve, welcome to our struggle.
Another griped: 'Name one black woman who has gone missing & gotten media coverage. I'll wait.'
Some social media users seemed to stand behind the newscaster's controversial statements