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CLOSING ARGUMENT FEBRUARY 24, 2020 ¦ 49

EDITORIAL BOARD

The CDC analyzed 18 years of data from 18 states low the poverty line because their mothers have
compiled by the National Violent Death Reporting similarly disappeared or been the subject of foul
System between 2003 and 2014, and found at least play. Just ask any social worker at the Connecticut
55.3 percent of female homicides were related to Department of Children and Families how many
intimate partner violence, in which a victim was such grandmothers are on his or her caseload. Is
killed by her current or former partner or caught in the disparate treatment because Ms. Dulos and
the crossfire of an intimate partner homicide. The Ms. Holloway are white, pretty, and rich? Are their
CDC report proposed targeted prevention pro- lives more valuable or their stories more sympa-
grams for high-risk women and enhanced access to thetic? We do not suggest that their stories are not
services to reduce female homicide rates. But that’s noteworthy, just that they are not any more note-
easier said than done, due in part to the lack of trust worthy than any other tragic disappearance.
in the system that minority women experience. What is the role of the media in reporting these
In a recent report, the Justice System Advocate matters? Is it simply clickbait for revenue pur-
for the Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy poses? Or is there a broader principle at issue?
Center cautioned that African-American women The protections afforded the media by the First
are less likely to contact domestic violence ser- Amendment suggest that it plays a critical role as
vice providers or call police when they’re abused, the Fourth Estate by reporting matters of public
thus increasing their risk of being killed, in part importance. The disparity in reporting on racial
because they are often fearful of reinforcing racial grounds indicates that the media is no longer pri-
stereotypes that the black community is violent. oritizing the latter function. We believe the media
Whichever statistics one relies upon or report should consider whether it is fulfilling its role and
one consults, the difference in violence experienced if not, take steps to address it.
by white women and women of color is dramatic, Rather than looking at cases through the lens
and much can be reported about the causes, soci- of how salacious the details are, the media should
etal implications and effective interventions. But be focusing on high risk factors and contribut-
little has been written acknowledging the differ- ing root causes. According to the World Bank, a
ence in news reporting. The disparity in treatment simple measure of inequality predicts about half
is palpable. This is not to suggest that the disap- of the variance in murder rates between Ameri-
pearance of any woman, especially a mother of can states and countries around the world. Rates
five young children, should not receive attention, of gun ownership (which rise when inequality
but stories about Jennifer Farber Dulos were non- does) and cultural traits like placing more empha-
stop all summer, and her case continues to receive sis on honor (which also is linked with inequality,
a disproportionate amount of attention. Most of especially when your social reputation in the com-
us remember the case of Natalie Ann Holloway, munity is all you have) are contributing factors.
the American teen whose 2005 disappearance in The intent here is not to identify all such reasons
the Caribbean became the nightly news subject of but rather to suggest that we broaden our media
Nancy Grace, the subject of a made for TV movie focus to include a discussion of these issues in an
and breathtaking headlines here and abroad. effort to educate the public broadly and galvanize
Sadly, over the years there have been untold all of us to work together to develop strategies and
cases involving mothers of color who have gone interventions that can be used to reduce the like-
missing or have been suspected homicide victims lihood of homicide victimization and offending
that prosecutors could tell you about. Equally where the risks are the greatest. Let’s broaden our
overlooked are the cases of countless children of horizons; maybe we’ll have fewer salacious stories
color being raised by grandmothers living be- to write about in the long run.
¦

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