A lonely field. An abandoned phone still connected to a call. A dog left all alone. A woman, seemingly vanished into thin air. Now, a body found in a rural river. 

It sounds like the plot of a novel or a television drama. It is not. It is a real-life tragedy for one family. 

On Friday 27 January, 45-year-old Nicola Bulley dropped her children off at school in Lancashire, England, and took her dog for a walk by the river. 

She followed the same routine as she did every day. Only this time, she did not return. For more than three weeks, there was no evidence to suggest what happened to her. Then, yesterday, a body was found in the river by police. 

What started as a normal missing person case quickly spiralled into a national obsession. The story has dominated news bulletins, newspaper headlines and social media. 

An army of amateur armchair sleuthsDetectives. posited numerous theories, from the mundaneOrdinary. It originally referred to something that belonged to Earth rather than heaven. to the ridiculous. One "influencer" was even arrested after taking it upon himself to search for evidence, leading to complaints from local residents.

As many as 170,000 people go missing every year in Britain.¹ The vast majority of cases never make it to newspaper headlines. So why has this story gained so much media attention? 

One explanation is that most people who go missing are found quickly - there is no need for media appeals. But others argue that bias plays a part too - cases that involve middle class White women are more likely to stay in the headlines. 

There is no doubt: this particular case is unusual. The police's theory that she had somehow entered the river was disputed by some. It led to widespread speculation online. 

Now, the police force has come under fire for releasing intimate details of Nicola Bulley's life, including her struggles with menopauseWhen a woman stops having periods. It typically happens between age 45 and 55. . On Friday, even British prime minister Rishi Sunak weighed in, saying he was "concerned that private information was put into the public domain". 

The UK's National Union of Journalists say that journalists should do "nothing to intrude into anybody's private life, grief or distress". But the guidance goes on to clarify that there is an exception - "unless justified by overriding consideration of the public interest". So where does the line lie between something that interests the public, and something that is in the public interest?

When making media appeals, police and reporters hope that by making the face of the missing person prominent, it will increase the likelihood that someone will come forward as a witness. 

Hundreds of people have visited the small village near Blackpool where Nicola disappeared and even more have joined online pages and groups to share their theories. Whilst some feel they are genuinely helping others, cynically, others seem to see the case as their chance to go viral.

Some think there is a sense of voyeurismEnjoyment from seeing the pain or distress of others. to the story. Humans are, for some reason, drawn to stories of pain and suffering -  as many are somehow compelled to look at a car crash at the side of the motorway. Psychologists refer to this as negativity bias. It may be an evolutionary trait that we have clung on to because noticing the bad parts of life educates us in how to avoid them. 

For now, police are still investigating what happened to Nicola Bulley. It may be some time before there are answers for her family. But some say the media circus tells us something about ourselves.

Yes: When people hear interesting or surprising information, it is natural to want to share it. But doing so can be harmful. It can lead to the spread of false information - or potentially even reinforce damaging stereotypes. 

No: Gossip is often fuelled by human curiosity. It helps us to share important information and is part of the rich human history of oral storytelling.

Or... News and gossip are two very different things, yet many people confuse them. While both may involve sharing information, the way they are gathered, verified, and disseminated is vastly different.