Savannah Guthrie and siblings plea for proof that their mother is still alive in an Instagram video. (Screengrab via NBC/"Today")

In the 11 days since the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, from her home in Arizona, thousands of tips have poured in, as well as messages of prayers and support. The “Today” host thanked viewers in a social media post this week, noting that they have provided comfort while in the “darkest place.”

For a “Today” segment last year, Guthrie visited her hometown of Tucson, bringing viewers along as she grabbed lunch with her mom. "I grew up there, went to college there, my mom still lives there, and honestly, a part of me has really never left," Guthrie said. It was a prime example of offering personal details in a way that resonates with the audience, helping cultivate the sense regular viewers are part of the big “Today” family. But that sense of intimacy can also have a darker side.

While no suspect has been publicly identified in the 84-year-old’s disappearance, and the motivation behind her disappearance still remains unknown, news of the abduction has reverberated far beyond Tucson, sending a jolt through television newsrooms nationwide. In conversations with Status, multiple TV executives said the Guthrie case has….

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