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Regarding the interest in Gabby Petito

Twenty-two-year-old Gabby Petito is dead. Authorities found her body in Wyoming. Her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, returned home to Florida after Petito went missing on their cross-country excursion through national parks. Laundrie subsequently walked off into a wilderness preserve, presumably to flee from authorities who now wish to question him.

The story broke a week ago. It sailed past me until my 16-year-old daughter asked what I thought about it. I had no idea what she was talking about. My wife, the next day, came home from the gym and asked about it. A 20-something young woman at her gym was talking about it. None of the women over 30 had heard about it.

The media swooped in, and the story took on new life. Petito is dead. Her boyfriend has fled. Her parents are grieving. There are a few things worth noting even for those who have paid no attention.

Joy Reid’s complaint holds a kernel of truth. Petito was an attractive young woman with a large following on social media. The media is obsessed with ratings. In particular, the media is obsessed with “the demo,” or media consumers ages 25 to 54. Specifically, media advertisers believe if a 25- to 35-year-old can be converted into a consumer of particular media or products, they’ll retain brand loyalty for decades.

The media covers Petito’s death hoping to convert some of her hundreds of thousands of followers into brand-loyal news consumers whom advertisers want to reach.

The media wants viewers. A young, blonde 22-year-old female social media influencer left dead in the forests of Wyoming, presumably killed by her now-on the run boyfriend will get ratings. Petito was a social media influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers. She died tragically. In a bit of irony, the location of her murder was discovered by another YouTuber who was editing video of a trip. He happened to have passed what looked like Petito and Laundrie’s van in the woods in Wyoming. He relayed the location to police who found Petito’s body nearby.

In the postmodern era, people are more emotional and relational. People who did not know Petito feel like they knew her. They connected to her online. They are grieving. The larger cultural story here is how so many could care about and relate to someone they do not know and become invested in her life. That is happening more and more, and those same people will keep bypassing the media organizations in favor of the relatable individuals they find on social media and follow online and off. The emotional and relational connection to individuals now transcends organizational brand.

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