Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American was fatally shot by George Zimmerman, a Hispanic neighborhood watch captain in Sanford, Florida on February 26th of 2012. If this statement doesn’t recollect a memory of national outrage and controversy then you probably never turned on a news channel, read a newspaper, or went on social media between the dates of March 2012 and March 2015 or even today. The case sparked a national frenzy on several issues including race, gun control, “stand your ground” laws, and the criminal justice system that was stoked by civil rights leaders, protests, social media influence, and blanket coverage from the media. The coverage of Trayvon Martin’s death went from local to national in a matter of weeks with news
…show more content…
Al Sharpton and Bill O’Reilly. Civil rights activist, Al Sharpton, who hosts MSNBC’s news program Politics Nation features stories from politics to entertainment as well as underreported stories. The shooting of Trayvon Martin and following case was far from underreported. Sharpton received sharp criticism for his dual and possibly conflicting roles as an activist and commentator. Many ask how MSNBC can allow him to speak as an activist at a rally for Trayvon Martin asking for donations, accompany Martin’s parents to the Justice Department and then cover himself on television (Media Bias, 2012)? His dual role challenges one of the central ethical codes of journalism which is to “act independently and avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived” (Sigma Delta Chi, 2014). A core value of journalism such as this cannot simply be ignored when it is questioned. Al Sharpton is not acting as a journalist so perhaps he doesn’t necessarily have to hold himself to the high ethical standards a normal journalist would; however, as as a commentator representing a news organization the issue is still there. Even commentators have to abide by certain rules and standards, and in Sharpton’s case those rules have certainly been broken dismantling much of his …show more content…
The framing of the story was apparent from the beginning. The photos of Zimmerman and Martin that circulated early on already gave implications. The photo of Zimmerman was an incriminating mug shot from a prior arrest and Martin’s was a younger, smiling photo of him which already portrayed innocence (Rieder, 2013). Zimmerman’s photo alone already criminalized him before anyone even knew the facts of the case. Additionally, NBC News edited the recording of Zimmerman’s 911 call (Rieder, 2013). The edit made it seem as if Zimmerman thought Martin was suspicious simply because he was black when in reality the 911 operator asked the race of Martin and Zimmerman responded. However, NBC cut out the operator’s question, leaving the listener with a suggestively racist sound bite. Furthermore, CNN reported that during that same phone call Zimmerman used the racial slur “f—ing coon,” directing it at Martin (Graham, 2012). They later suggested that Zimmerman merely said “f—ing cold.” Similarly, ABC News broadcast that a surveillance video showed Zimmerman without obvious injuries when an enhanced version of the video clearly showed his injuries (Rieder, 2013). They later reported that the enhanced version showed an injury to his head. All of these distortions, whether they be unintentional or
Al Sharpton and Bill O’Reilly. Civil rights activist, Al Sharpton, who hosts MSNBC’s news program Politics Nation features stories from politics to entertainment as well as underreported stories. The shooting of Trayvon Martin and following case was far from underreported. Sharpton received sharp criticism for his dual and possibly conflicting roles as an activist and commentator. Many ask how MSNBC can allow him to speak as an activist at a rally for Trayvon Martin asking for donations, accompany Martin’s parents to the Justice Department and then cover himself on television (Media Bias, 2012)? His dual role challenges one of the central ethical codes of journalism which is to “act independently and avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived” (Sigma Delta Chi, 2014). A core value of journalism such as this cannot simply be ignored when it is questioned. Al Sharpton is not acting as a journalist so perhaps he doesn’t necessarily have to hold himself to the high ethical standards a normal journalist would; however, as as a commentator representing a news organization the issue is still there. Even commentators have to abide by certain rules and standards, and in Sharpton’s case those rules have certainly been broken dismantling much of his …show more content…
The framing of the story was apparent from the beginning. The photos of Zimmerman and Martin that circulated early on already gave implications. The photo of Zimmerman was an incriminating mug shot from a prior arrest and Martin’s was a younger, smiling photo of him which already portrayed innocence (Rieder, 2013). Zimmerman’s photo alone already criminalized him before anyone even knew the facts of the case. Additionally, NBC News edited the recording of Zimmerman’s 911 call (Rieder, 2013). The edit made it seem as if Zimmerman thought Martin was suspicious simply because he was black when in reality the 911 operator asked the race of Martin and Zimmerman responded. However, NBC cut out the operator’s question, leaving the listener with a suggestively racist sound bite. Furthermore, CNN reported that during that same phone call Zimmerman used the racial slur “f—ing coon,” directing it at Martin (Graham, 2012). They later suggested that Zimmerman merely said “f—ing cold.” Similarly, ABC News broadcast that a surveillance video showed Zimmerman without obvious injuries when an enhanced version of the video clearly showed his injuries (Rieder, 2013). They later reported that the enhanced version showed an injury to his head. All of these distortions, whether they be unintentional or