The following is an editorial blog by Managing Editor Travis Ruiz
At Pronews 7, we care about our viewers and that's why we want to let you know about a portion of our news policy.
Over the last day or so, we have received numerous phone calls, Tweets, Facebook messages and emails about the missing teenager from Amarillo and why we are not covering it. You've probably seen the posts in our news feed.
Rest assured - we are aware and yes, we care.
Pronews 7 has spoken with the Amarillo Police Department and officers confirmed that the case is being investigated as a 'runaway case.'
As you can imagine, runaway cases are reported dozens of times, if not more, across the Panhandle. It would be impossible for our news team to report on every one of these cases. Please understand that if we report on one case, it is only fair for us to report on every one of the cases.
As a rule, our news team will only report on cases that are classified by police as 'Amber Alerts.'
What is an Amber Alert?
In order for police to deem an Amber Alert, it must meet the following criteria:
-Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place
-The child is at risk of serious injury or death
-There is sufficient descriptive information of child, captor, or captor's vehicle to issue an alert
-The child must be 17 years old or younger
-It is recommended that immediate entry of AMBER Alert data be entered in FBI's National Crime Information Center. Text information describing the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the child should be entered, and the case flagged as Child Abduction.
As always, we welcome any and all posts to our Facebook wall. We want this to be YOUR outlet! Your post will not be deleted, I promise.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those with children missing. Thank you for trusting Pronews 7 and ConnectAmarillo.com.
