The press shouldn't try George Zimmerman - but it should address ...

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By Lauren | April 11, 2012

As events surrounding the shooting of Trayvon Martin continue to unfold, I become increasingly concerned about how news reports may distort the outcome. By law, George Zimmerman, the man who reportedy shot Trayvon Martin, is innocent until proven guilty. He hasn?t even been indicted yet. Unfortunately, hard lines have already been drawn between people who are convinced that the justice system is unfairly sheltering Zimmerman because the boy he shot was African-American and people who believe that the justice system is being strong-armed into prosecuting Zimmerman because the boy he shot was African-American. Both groups believe that racism is warping the process, which means that someone is going to be angry and disappointed whether Zimmerman is ultimately convicted or exonerated.

It hasn?t helped that we know so little about what really happened the night Trayvon Martin died. One witness is dead, the other is claiming self-defense, and so far it doesn?t appear that anyone else saw enough to reliably describe what occurred. That hasn?t stopped the press, though. We?ve been treated to hours of reports on the impact that the shooting has had on the Martin family (who deserve our deepest sympathies), the credibility of the local police, and angry protests from both sides. The worst story came from NBC News, when a producer edited a 911 call that reportedly occurred between Zimmerman and an emergency worker in a way that made Zimmerman?s interest in Trayvon Martin seem more racist than it did when the entire call was played. NBC has apologized and fired the producer, but the report still threw unnecessary fuel on an already inflamed situation.

We don?t know what happened between Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman. We may find out if Zimmerman is put on trial, but we?ve seen from other high-profile cases that criminal trials don?t always provide satisfactory explanations. I believe that the media would be more responsible to wait until there are actual facts to report before trying to cover this story. If nothing else, premature news coverage may well make it more difficult for Zimmerman to receive a fair trial which, in turn, could call the legitimacy of any verdict into question. Zimmerman certainly has a stake in making sure he?s fairly treated, and so do the rest of us if we want our legal system to be credible.

There?s another crucial aspect to this situation, though, and it needs to be thoroughly reported. The media should directly address the societal tensions that have made this case so important to the nation. Some people apparently believe that racism, institutional and personal, is a thing of the past. However, the outrage sparked by the failure of Florida police to immediately arrest George Zimmerman says otherwise. It?s clear that a great many good people believe that racism is still very much an ugly part of American culture. Their concerns need to be heard, respected and meaningful action needs to be taken to address them. If the press is genuinely interested in finding justice in this sad situation, they should report on the tragic truth that entirely too many Americans believe they can?t trust society to treat them fairly because of the color of their skin.

Topics: Lauren Recommends, Legal Ethics, Professional Ethics, Social Ethics, ethics |

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