Media Meddling over Missing Mom

Rania Suleiman, section editor

Before social media was launched in 1997, there wasn’t a societal need to share every small detail online. However, today many celebrities online lack a sense of privacy and are often criticized when they keep personal secrets. This may sound like a nightmare, but for NBC news co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, it has helped share her heartbreaking story. 

It was a Saturday evening, when her mother Nancy Guthrie had just spent a night playing games with her relatives. As the night winded down, one of her relatives dropped her off back home, which is in an affluent neighborhood of Catalina Foothills in Arizonia. Mrs. Guthrie was last seen on Jan. 31, at 9:48 p.m. Her family realized she had gone missing when she did not attend church on a Sunday morning like usual. At around 1:47 a.m., the doorbell camera was disconnected and removed, but officials said that because she did not have a subscription, no footage could be recovered. The software detected movements on a camera near the home, but there is still no video available. There was also some blood found on the porch, and DNA tests confirmed it was her, which has created many-bunched scary theories with people wondering if she is still alive.  

Mrs. Guthrie has medical issues such as heart problems, so her family is worried her health could deteriorate without medication. Their concerns turned into a full-blown panic, when at 2:28 a.m., the app on her pacemaker (an implanted cardiac device), disconnected from her phone. The family worries that without her cardiac device, there could be permanent health complications that aren’t recoverable. Over the days, ransom notes were collected by officials. A note was found on the following Thursday that demanded money or else Mrs. Guthrie would not be released. Another note was collected, but it ended up being false. 

The struggle of having someone go missing is not talked about enough online. It’s so mentally draining, you don’t know where your loved one could be, and you have no closure. It forever consumes your life wondering if they are dead or alive. Guthrie’s three kids decided to put their large platforms to use by posting two separate videos online for their mother’s abductor to see, begging for her release. Savannah recorded an emotional video on Feb. 5, begging for proof that their mother was alive and okay. This could lead to some trouble, with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) there could be some fake videos of her mom sent, giving a sense of false hope. Posting videos being emotional can have some downsides, as it shows the abductor that you are vulnerable and willing to give up anything for your mother, giving them an advantage and even more power. 

Social media accounts like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram have been posting informational videos and updates. When individuals with different perspectives get involved, facts can get mixed up along the way. This issue is something that unfortunately happens to others every day, but it is not covered by the media as much. This opens the question for society whether this case makes families feel seen or overshadowed. 

“Honestly, I like that they discuss it because it spreads more knowledge and awareness on the issue, and I think that is what is needed during scary times like this,” says junior Dhwani Bhanushali. 

At the end of the day, the most important thing is that Nancy Guthrie is found and in good condition. While it may be covered in the media, the family is more focused on actively finding their mother than what facts people are mixing up online.