A news anchor has been feeling the heat after suggesting an “inappropriate” tagline related to Gabby Petito’s disappearance to his bosses.
63-year-old Frank Somerville is an American journalist and a veteran news anchor for KTVU who was suspended indefinitely after making a controversial suggestion related to the missing van-life girl Gabby Petito’s case.
As Mercury News reported, Somerville allegedly wanted to question the amount of time and coverage that has been poured into Petito’s disappearance and murder mystery.
While the veteran newscaster wanted to add a special portion revolving around the so-called “missing white woman syndrome” at the end of a report about Gabby Petito’s case, his bosses deemed the suggestion “inappropriate.”
While it is not clear to us just how bad the argument had gotten after director Amber Eikel slammed Somerville’s idea, it has been reported that the newscaster was suspended indefinitely on the following day.
“I can’t [comment] right now for my own protection. What I can tell you is that most of the reports you’re reading are generally correct,” the 63-year-old allegedly told DailyMail.com after the publication reached out to him for a comment.
The term “missing white woman syndrome” refers to an assertation made by late journalist Gwen Ifill who argued that missing white women receive more media attention than men or members of minorities.
Just last week, another TV presenter shared her opinion on the matter as she blasted the media for allegedly not putting in the same amount of coverage when a person of color goes missing.
“It goes without saying that no family should ever have to endure that kind of pain. But the way this story has captivated the nation has many wondering – why not the same media attention when people of color go missing?” Joy Reid, an MSNBC host and the showrunner of The ReidOut, said.
“Well, the answer actually has a name – missing white woman syndrome.”
Reid also argued that people of color don’t receive the same amount of coverage because of how they look.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!