The media is depicted as a double-edged sword in this novel. On one hand, the media disseminates vital information to the public, including soliciting the public to come forward and assist police investigations, but it also intrudes into the legal processes at work in the investigation of Amy’s disappearance, perhaps even preventing justice, as they twist stories to fit stereotypes and create more dramatic narratives.

Both television and print media figure largely in this novel. As a journalist who loses his job to the domination of the internet, Nick is twice a victim of large media forces. However, he manages to turn the tables on the media’s depiction of him by using internet videos and television to manipulate public opinion and woo his wife back to him, preventing a lengthy prison term or even the death penalty.

Amy too loses her job writing quizzes for magazines, because of print journalism’s move to the internet. However, she counts on the media to help her convict Nick of her murder, and she takes similar advantage of the media’s interest in her upon her return.

The novel explicates Flynn’s thought-provoking message that in the United States, the media’s appetite for excitement and entertainment trumps truth, solid knowledge, and information every time.