OUR OPINION /[topics]/[our-opinion] OUR OPINION en-US Sat, 27 Apr 2024 12:07:00 GMT Our opinion: By providing more information, agencies can help overcome ‘missing white woman syndrome’ /opinion/editorials/our-opinion-by-providing-more-information-agencies-can-help-overcome-missing-white-woman-syndrome Herald editorial board OUR OPINION The proverbial walls that arise in the wake of a reservation disappearance only inhibit media coverage — coverage that could possibly help, too. <![CDATA[<p>When Florida resident Gabby Petito went missing in 2021, her disappearance did not just</p><i>make </i> <p>national news, it</p><i>was</i> <p>the national news over the course of a couple weeks that autumn.</p> <br> <p>National television networks led their broadcasts with daily updates starting in early September and lasting until Sept. 19, when her remains were found in Wyoming. More coverage continued later, as her boyfriend became a suspect.</p> <br> <br> <p>Petito&#8217;s death sparked a new conversation about what some call &ldquo;missing white woman syndrome,&rdquo; the media phenomenon that sometimes arises especially when a pretty, young Caucasian woman disappears.</p> <br> <br> <p>It was outlined in a New York Times article published shortly after Petito&#8217;s remains were found in 2021. The piece noted how a number of national news outlets — The Washington Post, USA Today, ABC, NBC, CBS, et al. — dedicated serious space and time to Petito&#8217;s search. It was pretty much the same on social media, the article started.</p> <br> <br> <p>Yet, the Times reported, &ldquo;the disappearances of people of color tend not to generate the same volume of media interest, despite their occurring at a higher rate.&rdquo;</p> <br> <br> <p>With that in mind, consider the case of Jemini Posey, a 21-year-old mother from the Spirit Lake Reservation in northern North Dakota. Posey has been missing since Jan. 4. NBC has reported at least once on Posey's disappearance, but we haven&#8217;t noticed much more coverage at the national level. Even if others have reported on it, Posey's case hasn't generated even a small fraction of the frenzied coverage that occurred when Petito went missing.</p> <br> <br> <p>The Grand Forks Herald, meanwhile, published news about Posey&#8217;s disappearance on <a href="https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/local/police-say-missing-woman-may-have-been-in-grand-forks-area">Jan. 26</a> and <a href="https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/north-dakota/woman-has-been-missing-from-devils-lake-area-for-nearly-one-month">Feb. 2</a>. Another report can be found in the Herald's April 27 edition.</p> <br> <br> <p>Some would argue more should be done still. Actually, we agree.</p> <br> <br> <p>But while we wag a judgmental finger in the direction of national news outlets for perpetuating &ldquo;missing white woman syndrome,&rdquo; we also must note that finding information about missing women of color — especially Indigenous women — isn&#8217;t always easy.</p> <br> <br> <p>In the months following Posey&#8217;s disappearance, the Herald has made multiple unsuccessful attempts to schedule interviews with various government sources, including the Spirit Lake Tribal Council, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Department of the Interior.</p> <br> <br> <p>The newspaper also reached out to the Fort Totten Police Department for more information. That agency referred the Herald to the BIA, which suggested calling the FBI. The FBI ultimately declined to answer any questions related to the disappearance.</p> <br> <br> <p>This contrasts with the availability of information in non-reservation jurisdictions — a local police department, for instance. Generally, those offices make much more information available to the media, thus boosting awareness of the disappearance.</p> <br> <br> <p>&ldquo;Maybe local law enforcement is just a little bit more open with information,&rdquo; Gary Delorme, assistant U.S. attorney for the district of North Dakota, told the Herald. &ldquo;The FBI generally has to follow the manual that we&#8217;re under, so they&#8217;re not going to talk about any specific case or investigation, absent a really good reason (that would) advance the investigations.&rdquo;</p> <br> <br> <p>Maybe so, but the proverbial walls that arise in the wake of a reservation disappearance only inhibit media coverage — coverage that could possibly help, too.</p> <br> <br> <p>Considering the rate that reservation disappearances happen, we believe new models of communication on reservations are in order.</p> <br> <br> <p>As of last week, 83 people were listed in the<a href="https://missingpersons.nd.gov/search/all-missing-persons"> North Dakota Missing Persons Database</a>, 34 of whom are Indigenous. Although Indigenous people make up only about 5% of the state&#8217;s population, they comprise 41% of its current missing population.</p> <br> <br> <p>"Missing white woman syndrome&rdquo; does indeed appear to exist. As some lament it — and continue to try to overcome it — help could come with new PR approaches, both within reservation law enforcement agencies as well as the federal agencies that have jurisdiction in those places.</p> <br> <br> <p>We want the coverage to be better because we want these people found. But more expansive coverage is nearly impossible without real help at the grassroots level.</p>]]> Sat, 27 Apr 2024 12:07:00 GMT Herald editorial board /opinion/editorials/our-opinion-by-providing-more-information-agencies-can-help-overcome-missing-white-woman-syndrome Our opinion: Why turn on reader comments for some stories? Because dialogue helps us understand /opinion/editorials/our-opinion-why-turn-on-reader-comments-for-some-stories-because-dialogue-helps-us-understand Forum News Service OUR OPINION Feel free to participate in conversations that further explain the news, how it affects you and how we can be better as a community. <![CDATA[<p>A newspaper&#8217;s role is to inform. Certainly, doing so means telling readers about the happenings in our community and region, but we know a good part of the information process also comes from dialogue, engagement, conversation and, at times, debate.</p> <br> <br> <p>With that in mind, the Pioneer recently began allowing reader comments on certain stories on our website. The system went live last week and eventually will include other Forum Communications Co. newspapers.</p> <br> <br> <p>A few particulars: Anyone can view article comments, but only users who are registered or subscribed will be allowed to comment on articles published on FCC news sites. Individual readers can hide comments from others from their personal views.</p> <br> <br> <p>A policy and guidelines statement created by our company says &ldquo;We believe firmly in the First Amendment, which grants, among other rights, the freedom of speech and expression. Our aim is to uphold these freedoms while also working to ensure our channels do not become a platform for inciting violence or harassment.</p> <br> <br> <p>&ldquo;In an effort to maintain a safe space for all within our social channels, we will not tolerate:</p> <br> Profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks; Harassment of others or inappropriate commentary regarding tragedies; Threats of violence; Spam, including irrelevant links or photos not pertaining to our content; Off-topic comments.&rdquo; <p>Importantly, the company reserves the right to hide or remove comments. Those who abuse the rules could be blocked.</p> <br> <br> <p>Also, comments won&#8217;t be allowed on all stories. Generally, our company policy is that &ldquo;if comments can enhance the experience and engagement of the reader, based on the story subject, they should be added.&rdquo;</p> <br> <br> <p>Examples include stories that report on various trends (crime in the region, for instance), topics of community interest, investigative stories and sports commentary and analysis.</p> <br> <br> <p>Years ago, newspapers within our company allowed nearly unfettered reader comments, and, at times, it got ugly. Eventually, the decision was made to disallow comments. Of course, we publish news on social media sites, including Facebook, and readers there have been able to comment on all sorts of stories and topics.</p> <br> <br> <p>With our new system, the company will use software to help in the moderation process. Certain comments — those that are uncivil, those that include certain language and so forth — will automatically be blocked. Editors and reporters will oversee the rest.</p> <br> <br> <p>Genuine comments that land within the hoped-for decorum and propriety will stand. Actually, they are encouraged.</p> <br> <br> <p>Why?</p> <br> <br> <p>Because courteous conversations — even among those with whom we disagree — help us learn more about where we live and who we live with. We should be able to have debates and still be polite and civil.</p> <br> <br> <p>Again, not all stories will offer reader comments. But for the stories that do, please feel free to participate in conversations that further explain the news, how it affects you and how we can be better as a community.</p> <br> <br> <p>Too often these days, discussions quickly erode into a quagmire of contempt, sarcasm and outright vicious arguments. We see it everywhere — on social media, on talk shows, on the street.</p> <br> <br> <p>However, encouraging dialogue — true back-and-forth that helps us better understand important issues — must be the goal.</p>]]> Sat, 28 Oct 2023 11:30:00 GMT Forum News Service /opinion/editorials/our-opinion-why-turn-on-reader-comments-for-some-stories-because-dialogue-helps-us-understand