The Bias of Missing Children

The Bias of Missing Children

It is not very often that we see missing children on the news. However, most recently, we heard of Avonte Oquendo who had been missing for months before his remains were found. However, what people of society do not know is that children go missing every day; but not every child gets a story. With tens-to-hundreds of children going missing every day, how does the media decide which is worthy for the public to be aware of? Or even, how do they determine which child's face deserves a "breaking news" or an Amber alert? Is it based on how controversial the case is? How much money the parents have? I believe the media only presents the cases they feel are more than just a missing child case, or the ones they simply cannot ignore. Throughout this investigation, we will come to determine the bias the media uses when bringing awareness to missing children.

Television, online, news-reporting is biased when it comes to bringing awareness to missing children. On average in the US it is reported that over 800,000 children go missing and when averaged, that can equate to 2,185 reported on a daily basis. According to the register, In New York State there was a reported 21,656 missing children in 2012 coming out to approximately 56 children daily. That’s more than a classroom of children gone and never found.

When you take into consideration the large number of children, it may seem understandable as to why the 10’oclock news isn’t playing a story of each of the children. However, morals and ethics of the media have to be question when they chose a child out of the pool of 56 children. What exactly is the decisive factor when it comes to bringing awareness? How is it determined that one child is more important than the other? Or why does the media make it that way? In such a technologically advanced day and age, there are too many mediums to provide such information to the general public for them not to.

Etan Patz was one of the first missing...