The Trayvon Martin shooting and subsequent trial were the center of national media attention for months. The shooting occurred on February 26, 2012. The basis of the story is that George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch member overseen by the local police force, followed a young black male who was reportedly on his way back home after picking up a few things from the gas station. Trayvon seemed to notice Zimmerman following him and walked away. Zimmerman called police and reported the suspicious activity. According to Zimmerman, Trayvon confronted him near his car and an altercation occurred. The night ended with Trayvon Martin shot and killed. Local media reported Zimmerman as a white person. This clearly indicates that they want to create racial tensions. By making the incident a racial matter it incites rage and hate from both whites and blacks alike. It is a tool used to gain viewership and maintain public interest for long periods of time.
The media portrayl of both Zimmerman and Trayvon took dramatic turns to force the issue into a good v.s. evil situation. They did this by selectively issuing facts that put each person into a completely different light. This, again, is used to gain viewership and prolong national attention. According to newsbuster.org MSNBC manipulated the 911 call Zimmerman made to make him seem as if he was racist. In the sound clip they released to the public they have Zimmerman report the race of Trayvon unprompted. They then follow that with a clip of him saying the man is acting suspicious. The reality of the situation is that the dispatcher specifically asked what race the individual was so the police could have an idea of who they were supposed to look for when they arrived on the scene. MSNBC later changed the report but didn't directly acknowledge the error or apologize for it. Another important fact that was suppressed by the media was the school's record of Trayvon. Trayvon had been suspended from school several times. The latest incident involved having marijuana residue in his school bag. The judge refused to allow the school information that was legitimate into the courtroom. The media, however, continued to report that he was a good student.
The media doesn't have the legal responsibility or motive that the courts are straddled with. They can report whatever they want and have a huge incentive to constantly add fuel to the racial and political fire. The truth is secondary to breaking the story or any new pieces of the story first. Changes can always be made later but it is more important to get the public stirred up. The problem this has is that the public is generally uninformed by a media whose interest lies more in generating tension than telling the truth. The courtroom, however, must conform to the rule of law and the facts of the case. When the media reports false or misleading information it makes the case seem cut and dry to the public. When the court finds a verdict that's different than what the media has portrayed it looks as if the system has failed and that justice has not been done. This affects democracy because people lose faith in the justice system which is supposed to be the great equalizer in democracy.