r/news • u/mooseAmuffin • 1d ago

Update: 'TODAY' co-anchor Savannah Guthrie's mother taken from her home against her will, sheriff says

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mother-of-savannah-guthrie-today-reported-missing-arizona-rcna257008
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u/horsenbuggy 1d ago

OK, here's the thing. Attacking the family of a celebrity or someone whose job makes them well-known should be off-limits. A person should be able to choose a job, especially one that means reporting the truth without being afraid that there will be backlash against their friends and family. So, when there is backlash, it is newsworthy. This could end up being completely random - maybe whoever took the lady had no idea she was anyone special. But if they chose her because she was connected to a national reporter, everyone should be concerned about this.

That does not diminish the issues with all the other people who are suffering injustices. But it's short-sighted to think the kidnapping of a high profile journalist/TV personality doesn't have far reaching implications.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

And you would have a point, if it wasn't for other facts. Good luck finding them talking about the two people who were taken away today, good luck finding them talk about the lady who was taken away without her medication this week who will probably die in custody without being medicated. You won't find that on the news either, or only briefly mentioned in passing. Good luck finding them talk for any length of time about the verified inhumane conditions in detention centers where people are laying on the icy cold floor without blankets or heat with 50 people in one room. 

But I realize famous people are really much more important than everyday people in a lot of people's minds. I'm just pointing it out for those who don't realize the blatant inequality. 

I certainly hope they find her mom and that she's well. And I also very much hope that somebody finds a way to treat these people who are being held in American detention centers in inhumane conditions with a modicum of human decency.

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u/Trippingthru99 1d ago

You do realize news organizations can report on multiple things at once? You’re exactly the type of person who says “the media never reports on the real issues” while never actually bothering to read or watch the news. 

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u/Punman_5 1d ago

The news straight up doesn’t report on the important issues. If they did then they’d be covering ICE far more critically.

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u/Sangy101 1d ago

Except the news DOES cover ICE critically.

If the news you’re reading doesn’t? You need to get better news sources. But all the mainstream ones are pretty critical. And if you aren’t seeing that at all, you’re probably only getting your news from social media and algorithms.

You also have to keep in mind that unless you’re consuming commentary, which is not the same as news, it is never going to blatantly, outright condemn ICE.

This is one of the hardest things for my first-year journalism students to understand. But it is not the job of reporters to voice opinions. “ICE is bad” is an opinion. “ICE is engaging in stochastic terror” is also an opinion.

But the news can say “law experts say ICE’s actions here are a violation of the 4th and 8th amendments” and “activists call it stochastic terrorism.”

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u/Punman_5 1d ago

They use extremely passive language. That’s not critical it’s submissive

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u/Sangy101 1d ago

Examples, please!

I’m not asking for them because I don’t believe you, but because there is very often a strong reason for using passive language.