Some of you may have heard this week of the tragic shooting of a teenager, Trayvon Martin, by a neighborhood watchman named George Zimmerman. Zimmerman claims that he witnessed suspicious behavior and that he had a physical altercation that warranted the use of deadly force. Zimmerman was not arrested because Florida has a "Stand Your Ground" law, stating that a person is authorized to use deadly force in self defense when there is a reasonable belief of a threat. As of today, Zimmerman remains a free man. Some politicians and commentators in the media have suggested that the police may have not conducted itself appropriately and that there is a particular racial aspect to the case.
Whether or not Zimmerman will be charged or is guilty of murder or manslaughter is not for me to decide. My focus in this blog post is on the out of control media. Even if everything that comes out in any news story covering this case turns out to be true in the end, I can't stand to see is how the media jumps to conclusions and declares a person guilty in the court of public opinion. Time and time again, we see cases where many in the media act less like journalists and more like an editorial board hiding behind the cover of a "news" banner. And then comes the inevitable stream of "new" information that is released-- oohhh! the plot thickens! To everyone that reads this blog at this school, this should be more than familiar: The Sandusky Scandal. The rush to judgement cost Joe Paterno his job(he should have been placed on administrative leave, pending the investigation), and the school's reputation has been heavily damaged. I am not trying to say that Sandusky is innocent of all charges-- the evidence in the grand jury report is damning. But for us to function as a society, I think we have to let our constitutionally guaranteed right to due process run it's course. It may be an ugly truth, but Jerry Sandusky is as much entitled to his rights as you or I am. Hopefully I am never placed in one of these situations where I do have to let the judicial system decide my fate, but if I was I would certainly want what I am constitutionally entitled to.
If the people concerned about Trayvon Martin really want justice, they should want the verdict carried out the right way-- In the court room, not the news room.
Sources:
ABC News timeline of events
CS Monitor why George Zimmerman hasn't been arrested.
Whether or not Zimmerman will be charged or is guilty of murder or manslaughter is not for me to decide. My focus in this blog post is on the out of control media. Even if everything that comes out in any news story covering this case turns out to be true in the end, I can't stand to see is how the media jumps to conclusions and declares a person guilty in the court of public opinion. Time and time again, we see cases where many in the media act less like journalists and more like an editorial board hiding behind the cover of a "news" banner. And then comes the inevitable stream of "new" information that is released-- oohhh! the plot thickens! To everyone that reads this blog at this school, this should be more than familiar: The Sandusky Scandal. The rush to judgement cost Joe Paterno his job(he should have been placed on administrative leave, pending the investigation), and the school's reputation has been heavily damaged. I am not trying to say that Sandusky is innocent of all charges-- the evidence in the grand jury report is damning. But for us to function as a society, I think we have to let our constitutionally guaranteed right to due process run it's course. It may be an ugly truth, but Jerry Sandusky is as much entitled to his rights as you or I am. Hopefully I am never placed in one of these situations where I do have to let the judicial system decide my fate, but if I was I would certainly want what I am constitutionally entitled to.
If the people concerned about Trayvon Martin really want justice, they should want the verdict carried out the right way-- In the court room, not the news room.
Sources:
ABC News timeline of events
CS Monitor why George Zimmerman hasn't been arrested.
I completely agree. Personally I do not know the specifics of the case. I only heard about Trayvon Martin a couple days ago. I would not say the media carries out their own way of handling the case, but I would note they have a heavy influence on what happens in the court room because they influence the views of the public (i.e. may influence the jury). It will be interesting to see what happens to Zimmerman.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more about the media changing stories these days. Especially when it came to the Sandusky issue, ESPN and a couple other news channels totally blew the entire story out of proportion. It's sad to see how much the media can affect the outcome of situations.
ReplyDeleteTo counter argue your point, in my Media Law class we learned that the government has very very very limited influence over the news media and will do anything to protect it. The reason for this is because the government does not want to "impede the flow of information". Many media sources abuse the freedom they have but in the end... its for a greater good.
ReplyDelete