Toward an Equitable True Crime? Media Portrayals of Missing Black and Indigenous Women and Girls
Schedule
Thu Apr 17 2025 at 07:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
LangLab South Bend | South Bend, IN
POP-UP UNIVERSITY PRESENTS:Dr. Stacie Merken, PhD, Chair, Department of Criminal Justice
Title: Toward an Equitable True Crime? What Black and Missing and Murdered and Missing in Montana Reveal about the Media Portrayal of Missing Black and Indigenous Women and Girls
ABOUT THE TALK:
The Missing White Woman Syndrome refers to the overrepresentation of White missing women and girls in the news media. This syndrome is problematic because Black and Indigenous women and girls disappear at high rates within the United States but receive far less media coverage and police attention. While a growing body of literature exists regarding how White women and girl victims are over-represented in true crime media, to our knowledge, no researcher to date has examined television true crime installments for how marginalized woman and girl victims are portrayed. Using inductive qualitative content analysis, this chapter examines two television true crime documentaries – HBO’s Black and Missing and Oxygen Network’s Murdered and Missing in Montana –for how the missingness of Black and Indigenous women and girls is portrayed within American true crime. Across the two documentaries, missingness is tied to three main elements: police failures, sex trafficking, and the vulnerability of Black and Indigenous women. Overall, these two documentaries break the true crime mold by examining societal and structural issues impacting Black and Indigenous women and girls.
ABOUT THE EVENT:
THIS EVENT IS CASUAL. COME AS YOU ARE. ARRIVE EARLY TO PURCHASE FOOD, WINE, BEER, COCKTAILS, MOCKTAILS, COFFEE, TEA, AND SOFT DRINKS. STAY LATE FOR CONTINUED CONVERSATION AND NETWORKING.
ABOUT THE VENUE:
Langlab is a continually growing multi-use co-workspace facility that can be used to engage multiple demographic groups in artistic, musical and intellectual experiences that represent the culture of our community. The space is able to host a variety of events, including: concerts, forums, poetry readings, film screenings, art exhibitions, debates, book signings, theater works, workshops, and community gatherings, in addition to serving as a business incubator and home for local small businesses.
ABOUT THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
The Office of Community Engagement at IU South Bend is committed to fostering relationships between the campus and community that enhance student learning and enrich our region. To learn more email [email protected].
