Does anyone recall where they were say in the spring/summer of 2001? Maybe more specifically: May until early September of tht year? If so, do you remember the number one story of those m onths. It was the story that has cable news fixated. I couldn’t turn on my television to either MSNBC or Fox New (the 2 I regularly watched back then) without this one story being on or was ”next up”. It got to the point for me where I mostly stopped watching either of those channels and ytirdf to only watch local news at that time. But that story invaded evn local news, you know, that 22 minute show that covers mostly local or regional news. But there it was. II never paid attention to TV ratings back then but today I would have to guess that story was preeminent because it attracted th most viewers ad of cours, more viewers means more advertising money for the outlet.

Know what story I am referring to from 2001? The disapwarance of chanfra Levy, an intern for a California congressman, Gary Condit. Why am I mentioning this? Right now, the story of the month seems to be the disappearance of Gabby Petito, another pretty white blonde young woman (22) but this time, the suspect, or in this case ”Person of Interest” id her fiancee. Just a few minutes ago, I turned on my television, over to fox News – top of the hour. they begin with this story.

**Guess what? Sixteen minutes later they’re still talking about it. No, really.

It was facininating to me twnety years ago that theChandra Levy story attracted so many people. Of course, the media made it as salacious as possible with them all vut saying that the congressman was having an affair with the young intern and that maybe she began blackmailing him becuase – gasp!- she was pregnant. Yes, that what they were discussing for hours on end without a smidgen of proof that anything had ever occurred between the two.

**Now on Fox they’re 20 minutes into this single story about Gabby.

But all summer of 2001, reporters chased Condit around the capital all but accusing him of murder. It was a circus, live on TV for the summer. Whenever I met people out for dinner or drinks what was the topic? Yep, the Chandra Levy story. Of course, no one actually knew what happened to her that summer. There was no body, no murder weapon, no forensics against the congressman to indicate he had anything to do with her disappearance. that didn’t stop the media from speculating or as what I like to refer to as, making it up as they go.

**Okay, 26 minutes into the hour, Fox has moved off the Petito story to a Biden story. I’, giessing they finally did that 2-3 minutes before.

During that same summer, in ?July, two black girls , sisters, disappeared without a trace. The only reason I remember this is that this story received a brief mention during the extended Chandra Levy coverage and yes, it was odd at the time. These girls have never been found. Imagine how horrible it has been for those parents and other family members. A pretty white girl goes missing? 100 percent of the day coverage. Two young black girls? Barely a mention. That’s the way that summer was though and the only reason the Chandra Levy story stopped? You giessed it, Sept 11, 2001. On September 10 it was still the big story.

What was I doing on September 11? I had worked late into the early morning hours, got up around 9 am (two hours behind the east coast), went to the kitchen to start coffee, on my way tuend on the TV and heard something that wasn’t Chandra Levy. My thought without knowing what was being talked about? I can’t believe I’m not hearing about Chandra Levy. Or at least it didn’t sound like it. I was actually relieved for a couple of minutes that I had dodged that story for a few minutes. I’m not the only one I know that had tht initial reaction, before realizing what had actually happened earlier that day.

Please don;t take my exasperation with the Gabby Peritostory as being unfeeling. I certainly have empathy for her froends and relatives like anyone when a family member goes missing. the issue for e is all I have heard a weepy calls dfor the fiancee to step forward and tell the police and everyone else ehst he knows. also, lie the Chandra Levy story from 20 years ago, a lot of speculation based on an encounter with some police in Utah. This morning they even mentioned the double murder from that area and without saying, again speculated that something bad happened to Gabby based on that.

Although after about a month of this young woman being missing, it’s hard to believe she’s still alive but its always possible. I would just like the news channels to talk bout stories like these when there was something more than speculation whether from talking heads or even the police.