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Martin, Zimmerman and media culture

Posted Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at 12:29 PM

Ten days after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, the first national story hit the wires.

It came from Reuters, a pretty bare-bones, typical crime story. It relayed pretty much what the police report said and noted the family wished to press charges.

I will note here that it is not uncommon for stories like this to appear on various intra-media wires.

Why did this story catch on so rapidly? A comment made by the family's lawyer that pointed out the seemingly innocent nature of Trayvon Martin. The lawyer further insinuated that because of this innocence, they figured the shooting was racially-motivated.

The jury decided it was self-defense. Thank goodness, after a year and four months, the speculation ends.

Oh, but it doesn't.

For a month or two, many will speak out for and against the verdict. Next February, there will likely be more rallies with hoodie-clad, Skittles-toting protesters.

On the other side, people will continue to berate "the media" for race baiting and carrying on while the poor consumers are forced to listen to it.

Journalists are faced with an interesting quandary. Determining newsworthiness is a tedious task. It requires a lot of judgement and knowledge of your consumer base. Journalists must produce stories that are interesting to the public or written in a way to get the public interested. It's a Catch-22, really. If journalists report "boring" but necessary stories, people get bored and leave while trashing the organization for producing content no one seems to care about. But if they only report on the "sexy" stories (a journalism euphemism for interesting and exciting), they are categorized as tabloid or sensationalist.

In a sense, the consumers choose the stories. Or rather, the types of stories that are given precedence. Why does the news always seem to start with the latest crime or tragedy story? Because that is what people care about, whether they will admit it or not. By the same token, crime stories are necessary, because being informed about violence in your area can keep you vigilant.

The question many are asking of journalists in regards to the Trayvon Martin story? Why are news outlets pumping it out, when deaths involving black perpetrators and white victims seem to only be covered by the local organizations and no one else.

Because that's what gets people fired up. Particularly when the victim's family is calling it racially-motivated.

Many compare Trayvon's death and the death of Marley Lion. Lion was about to turn 18 when he was shot in a parking lot, allegedly by several black men in their mid-late 20s and early 30s. The accused say the shooting occurred during an armed robbery, but none will admit to being the gunman.

Many say the reason this story never made it past local news is because the victim was white.

Partially, yes. Historically, white people don't band together to decry an act racist against them, largely because they don't believe one can be racist against a white person (we will deconstruct that in a later post).

What got the media's attention was the claim that Trayvon's death was possibly racially motivated. It had all the trimmings of what could be a major story - an seemingly innocent kid killed in what appeared to be cold blood.

The jury said it was self-defense.

Regardless of the truth, the story has started something of a conversation on how journalists approach race relations in the stories they cover.

Let me be clear: The family said it appeared racially motivated. The consumers spread the story and made the noise.

Like Yahoo's top story carousel is populated with the trash people click on, journalists will report what your fellow consumers what to know about. Non-crime news typically comes from a tip from a consumer. Comment forms, phone calls. Sometimes, it's simply what people are talking about on social media or on the bus.

Journalism is a mirror of the community. Remember that when you evaluate a news outlet and decry their coverage.

Comments

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Very good blog. I think that most of us with common sense get tired of the hysteria.

A few years ago in Kansas City, I worked with someone who was murdered just three blocks from our work place.

William McKay, who happened to be black was making his way to work when he was gunned down by an 18 year old kid who wanted the experience of killing a black man.

He and two other friends chased William in a stolen car for several blocks before shooting him in the street.

He was charged for a hate crime by the Federal Courts. The other kids were granted immunity for their testimony.

I didn't see Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson hold a rally for this man who was indeed a victim of a hate crime. Nor was the killer, a caucasian.

George Zimmerman was tried by his peers in a court of law. Let it go and write copious letters to the news agencies and hysterics on all sides to cease and desist.

Do something honorable in Trayvon's name, like a scholarship fund or donate money to your favorite charity. Standing around in a hoodie or investing in a year supply of Skittles only makes you feel important and doesn't do much for anyone ele's benefit.

-- Posted by KH Gal on Tue, Jul 16, 2013, at 1:49 PM
KH, I, too, have grown tired of the Martin case.

Moral majority: While that may be true, the family's comment in the first story that went national was that they could only see one reason behind Zimmerman's actions.

-- Posted by lilmissmelmo on Tue, Jul 16, 2013, at 1:56 PM
Looks like someone didn't read my blog. Nice of you to stay on topic.

I don't care if they were wrong, I'm just explaining the thought process behind journalists' coverage.

-- Posted by lilmissmelmo on Tue, Jul 16, 2013, at 6:16 PM
This is on topic as well, it addresses how the media in some areas make issues big or small, it all varies with how well connected the parties in question are. Zimmerman's dad was a magistrate judge (retired). That gave him a free pass from being arrested initially, until there was public

outcry about it.

Many people compare the Zimmerman/Martin case to the South Carolina case where Marley Lion a 17 year old white guy was shot by a black guy while sitting in a car in a parking lot at 4 am.

To properly investigate this we must ask a few open questions such as:

Mr Lion was a 17 year old juvenile. Why wasn't he safe at home in his bed at 4:05 am instead of sitting or sleeping in a car in a parking lot? Why was he even there at that time of day? Was he there to make a drug deal or maybe buy an illegal firearm? Is there not a curfew for youngsters in that area? It said "a parking lot". Who's parking lot is it, what business or companies is it for? Is that area known for other illegal activities?

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2012/07/31/four-arrested-...

this is from that linked article

"Part of the case depended on video surveillance footage from around 4:05 a.m. on June 16 at 1662 Savannah Highway. The footage shows a person walk through the parking lot shortly before the shooting. Later, it shows another person approach Lions' vehicle, leave when its car alarm starts going off, and then return after about 20 seconds and fire a gun several times into the vehicle".

Does that video show when Mr Lion got there, and what he had done before the time of the shooting?

The authorities make no comments about all the activities Mr Lion was doing prior to the event

in question, that should have been caught on that same video footage as well.

Was this a gang hit? 1 guy verified the target and the other pulled the trigger. Did the shooter have the gun when he first approached the car, or did he acquire it in the 20 or so seconds he had after he verified the target?

Maybe it was a drug deal gone wrong. Did Mr Lion have a criminal record of any kind? Was he ever involved in any gang type activities? Did he have problems at school? Was he even enrolled in school last year? Did he skip class last year to just hang with his homies at any time? Did Mr Lion have a package of Skittles and a large ice tea in his possession and was he wearing a hoodie and talking on a cell phone? All of which are gang banger activities according to Mr Zimmerman. We found out about Mr Martins criminal record. Why don't we know if Mr Lion has any record of previous criminal activities?

Stalking someone isn't against the law in Sanford Fla I guess, because of what the one cop said, it must be ok to follow someone around late at night with a gun in Florida, as long as you are not of one of the unfavorable races. Zimmerman has a "white name" but initially by his appearance in the footage shown on the night in question had all the trappings of an "other race" gangster, the shaved head and many tattoos etc.

I will not pass judgement on the ones arrested in the Lion case until all of the many questions are answered properly.

Our own government officials are guilty of making "hits" on it's enemies, so they have no room to pass any judgement in this case. By the way, the "enemies" of our "government" are in most cases not the enemies of "we the people". Yes, I am a white guy too.

-- Posted by kattmanduu on Tue, Jul 16, 2013, at 7:54 PM
mr Zimmerman was a wannabe cop.....and conservatives should not be telling others who they should admire and whom they shouldn't.WHO MADE YOU THE MORALITY POLICE??????yOU CAN PASS MR ZIMMERMANS INDESCRETIONS OFF AS HE WAS NO ANGEL.BUT THE KID IS A THUG........YOUR A TRIP BUT WORST YOUR DOUBLE STANDARD IS VERY TELLING.DONT JUDGE LESS YOU BE JUDGED.... ENOUGH ALREADY........get neutral with your words and try to understand what this is about for some of us and DR king WAS NOT A HERO FOR ALL YOU CONSERVATIVES........AND YOU CANT SAY HE WAS.....AND BASED ON YOUR COMMENTS HE WASNT FOR YOU.....HE IS JUST CONVENIENT RIGHT NOW.....STOP IT.

-- Posted by lamont on Wed, Jul 17, 2013, at 1:17 PM
I forgot for the record MLK TOTAL DOCTRINE OF NONE VIOLENCE WAS NOT EMBRACED BY ALL ,AND THEREFORE HE WAS NOT A HERO TO ALL. I FORE ONE AM OF THE MIND IF YOU HIT ME I WILL HIT YOU BACK.That part of DR KING for me was not acceptable considering how our people were being slaughtered during his time.TO be truthfull the institutional slaughter hasn't stoped we just changed the laws to justify it. THIS GENERATION HAS FALLEN INTO THE TRAP OF ALLOWING THE VICTIM TO BE BLAMED BASED ON THE GROUPS ACTIONS.Because I am not judged as and individual but as part of a group.That is part of what happened to T.MARTIN AS PER mr ZIMMERMANS PHONE CONVERSATION......IT'S called profiling.

-- Posted by lamont on Wed, Jul 17, 2013, at 2:54 PM
WELL MORAL MAJORITY YOU DID IT AGAIN.....YOU TRYING TO TELL US WHO WE SHOULD LISTEN TO.First off she is not his daughter second DR KING would not wear a hoodie,or wear baggie pants .....so what???...... he was my age and we dress to a different standard. TIMES CHANGE AND SO DOES FASHION.AND YOUR POINT IS.???????(there is the stereotype) MRS KING IS A MINISTER AND SHE SAID WHAT A MINISTER would SAY.GET in touch with the fact that most of the black community doesn't care what she has to say.She was asked for a comment based on her name she is not a leader to the larger black community.

The juries decision will be honored but we don't have to like it so quite trying to make us.I HATE TO SAY IT BUT IF JURIOR B-37 IS AND EXAMPLE OF EQUAL JUSTICE WE ARE IN TROUBLE.She should have never been on that jury........that's my opinion.

-- Posted by lamont on Wed, Jul 17, 2013, at 5:37 PM
Lamont I forgot your options are the only ones that count...sorry but the NAACP and this government are more racist than the KKK from what I see.

-- Posted by Trouble2011 on Wed, Jul 17, 2013, at 8:59 PM
TROUBLE TROUBLE TROUBLE.......HAS THE NAACP LYNCHED ANYBODY????? OH I KNOW THAT DOESNT COUNT.DID YOU PROTEST THE KKK????WHY don't you like the naacp or do I need to ask.Do you have a problem with all advocates for black equality.OR are we not entitled to equality.YOU SCREAM ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION IS THAT NOT PART OF IT.??????AS your opinion about this will not change my probally wont either and as you are not alone neither am I.....a lot of white folks don't like that verdict either,So do your self a favor and don't try to make it about my opinion you state your opinion and I CAN RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE.any time you want to compare the NAACP to the KKK LET ME KNOW.BECAUSE THERE IS NO COMPARISON.The kkk IS CONSIDERED TO BE DOMESTIC TERRORISTS.ALONG with the ARYAN nations and quite a few other groups.I don't like the new black panthers either, if you hated them no problem..........WHTEVER YOU SAY IT.S OK WITH ME I DONT HAVE TO AGREE.........LATER

-- Posted by lamont on Wed, Jul 17, 2013, at 10:37 PM
I DIDNT SAY DR KING WASN'T MY HERO....... I SAID I didn't agree with his total none violent stand.IS there something wrong with that?I told the truth DR KING was not a hero to all and white AMERICA SHOULD KNOW THAT.WE don't need your praises it is very condescending.IF you knew anything about the movement you would know that DR king was up front ,there were a lot more people who made the movement.Nobody is putting DR KING down he is your hero that's fine.He doesn't have to be anyone elses because he's yours that's the point.THE 60's attitude you bet.Little has changed, you would like to think it has,but so much hasn't that really counts that it's pathetic.

some names for you to research....JuliAN Bond,ANDREW YOUNG,REP CUMMINGS.they were as important and as active.YOU need to get in touch with I AM NOT PUTTING YOU DOWN.IF you cant handle a black man who lived it how are you going to move forward??????? think about that.

-- Posted by lamont on Thu, Jul 18, 2013, at 3:40 PM
Little has changed huh, take a look at the white house. The advatages people with an ethnic background get over those that are not are staggering. This is affecting people that were not even alive and had nothing to do with the past. Should a 18 year old German student be held liable for something Hitler did? According to you YES.

-- Posted by Trouble2011 on Fri, Jul 19, 2013, at 1:37 PM
TROUBLE........YOU MISSED THE POINT.......HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU WE HAVE TO GIVE YOU EXAMPLES OF RACISM CONTINUING.DO YOU REALLY THINK EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED BECAUSE Obama got elected if you do you are very na*ve.......all you have to do is look at the racist jokes and innuendo's that have been thrown his way.PEOPLE STILL PAYING THE PIPER FOR DISCRIMINATING IN THERE HIRING PRACTICES,ATTEMPTS TO FORCIBLY MAKE PEOPLE GET PAYED BY A CREDIT CARD THAT THEY GET A KICK BACK OFF OF,THE FACT THAT A BLACK MAN NO MATTER WHAT HIS BACKGROUND RECIEVES DIFFERENT TREATMENT IN A COURT OF LAW,SENTENCES ARE LONGER AND MORE SEVER, WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU STILL HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WILL DIE BEFORE THEY CHANGE.

QUITE THE CRAP ABOUT SOMEBODY HOLDING YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR GRANDADDY THAT IS NOT TRUE....I am holding you responsible for you, today the people in the justice system are not yesterdays cops,judges or prosecutors.people hiring are not yesterdays bosses.TELL me what advantages I have I need to hear this.OTHER THAN the effort to educate and get rid of a sub culture please tell me what advantage I have.DONT talk about what you think talk about what is legally so.I am also getting a little tired of every time somebody brings up the president or this subject you start talking about HITLER you don't talk about HITLER when people are mistreating us, you don't understand the subtleties of racism and never will and that is because it doesn't happen to you.Truthfully I am getting tired of trying to explaine what happens to me daily and it's affects, so keep your head in the sand and press on.

-- Posted by lamont on Fri, Jul 19, 2013, at 3:01 PM
Lamont

You're probably right I probably don't understand where you're coming from but I would like to. Would you be willing to spend a few hours or a whole day showing me what you're talking about. Seriously I would like to learn.

-- Posted by TundraRat on Fri, Jul 19, 2013, at 4:00 PM
All of the media attention may produce some positive results.

1. Background checking for gun control.

2. Making racial or other targeting illegal.

3. Getting rid of stand your ground laws. If you have a gun and the other person isn't armed why not walk away rather than kill? Why not wound rather than aim for the heart?

-- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Jul 19, 2013, at 4:16 PM
IT will be interesting to see what the right makes out of what the president said today........very very interesting.

-- Posted by lamont on Fri, Jul 19, 2013, at 5:14 PM
Lamont, probably the same nonsense as what just went on in this blog. >_<

Actually, many called President Obama the "n word" and called him a race baiter.

Because racism is totally dead in America. /Sarcasm.

-- Posted by lilmissmelmo on Fri, Jul 19, 2013, at 10:05 PM
Yes, some were saying that he was the last person that should be talking about race. That's crazy. The President of the United States should be able to talk about any problems facing the country.

I believe that is blatant racism aimed at Obama. He's Black so he isn't allowed to talk about race? The white people get to figure that out for themselves? What a joke!

-- Posted by Sam_1776 on Sat, Jul 20, 2013, at 8:29 AM
Lilmiss,

I don't think anyone believes that racism doesn't exist. My question is how prevalent is it, especially in Mountain Home. Over the past few months this topic has been discussed several times. During those discussions I've heard some people claim that many of the buisness in town are racist. I even heard someone claim that the majority (I don't remember the exact % that was used)of this town is racist. I'd like to know how much of that perceived racism is really racism and how much is simply perceived as racism. If there are business that are practicing racism I'd like to know who they are so that I can take my business elsewhere.

Yesterday I listened to the President's speach on the Zimmerman/Martin issue and for once I actually agreed with much of what he had to say. I agree that there is still work to do, I agree that somethng needs to be done to level the playing field in the court system. I don't agree that eveytime a woman locks her door or clutches her purse a little tighter that it's because she's racially profiling. She may do the same thing when any strange man walks by.

Hopefully as some of the emotion of the last few days dies down some realsitic conversation on this subject can happen. That is the only positive outcome that I think any of us can hope for from this whole mess.

Lamont,

I'd really like to meet you and try to understand things from you perspective.

-- Posted by TundraRat on Sat, Jul 20, 2013, at 9:41 AM
TUNDRARAT.......I am considering what you said and I HAVE TO FIND TIME.....I am right now still fighting the big C AND I AM PLAYING CATCHUP ALL THE TIME WITH MY HOUSHOLD.....I will get back to you on that you can count on it.

-- Posted by lamont on Sat, Jul 20, 2013, at 10:38 AM
Sorry to hear about your struggle. Stay strong and when you feel up to it let me know.

-- Posted by TundraRat on Sat, Jul 20, 2013, at 2:12 PM
When I lived in Mountain Home, I felt strong racial tension between the Hispanic and white population - I won't speculate on the reasons for that. I don't think that was just percieved. As far as businesses went, I never saw anything but friendly attitudes regardless of a customer or business owner's skin color.

MH has a very small minority population. I think the last time I looked at the census data, the town was 80-90 percent white. So I guess there's not much opportunity to display racism.

-- Posted by lilmissmelmo on Sat, Jul 20, 2013, at 10:39 PM
I've noticed from people that I've known that racism goes down with each generation and seems to be lower or non existent in more intelligent and educated people.

Who knows. Maybe my grandchildren will be telling me in twenty years that I shouldn't be bigoted towards uneducated and less intelligent people. Maybe they will be the new minority. (I hope.)

-- Posted by Sam_1776 on Sun, Jul 21, 2013, at 9:42 AM
LILMISSMELMO......I want your money I smile and play games other than that I don't want any other interaction,happens every day. NOT just here.

SAM......your grandkids sound like mine....I have this united nations family.....the future look of AMERICA.......THEY CANT HARBOR TO MUCH BIGOTRY OR THEY WOULD HAVE TO CONFRONT A COUSIN ,UNCLE ,AUNT,GRANPA,GRANMA....SO WE don't worry about it to much except when they get confronted outside of our circle,IT'S our job to teach them how to do that constructively and we work on it......we don't pick there friends but we have noticed that they pick them carfully and get rid of anybody who makes a wise *** remark about us or anyone around them so we must be doing something right........keep on keeping on one at a time we will make the changes that are needed.

-- Posted by lamont on Sun, Jul 21, 2013, at 11:14 AM
lilmissmelmo,

All due respect, but census data is based on voluntary reporting of one's residency. This city is most definitely not 80-90% white. Have you been to Walmart on card day lately?

Not trying to be inflammatory, just stating the simple truth.

-- Posted by MrMister on Sun, Jul 21, 2013, at 7:26 PM
I don't have grandchildren yet lamont but hope to in about 10 years.

-- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Jul 22, 2013, at 7:37 AM
SAM....THEY ARE A BLESSING ....YOU GET TO MAKE UP fore ALL YOU DIDNT DO WHEN YOU WERE RAISING THERE PARENTS(smile)Don't know how I would feel without them.You get to glimpse the future and they keep you on your toes.God blessed me with a bunch of them,AND ENOUGH LOVE TO GO AROUND.Well got to run take care.

-- Posted by lamont on Mon, Jul 22, 2013, at 2:52 PM

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