Blog 4 – Case Study on Diversity By: Katie Rowley
Situation Definition
In a time where media and news have transitioned from traditional platforms over to digital, journalists and news outlets have been feeling the pressure more than ever before to release stories quick and concisely. Yet, the idea of having to be ready to release a news story almost immediately after an occurrence has resulted in many journalists releasing information that is incorrect and unethical. As journalists it is our job to cover a story and get to the bottom of it so that the most authentic and truthful version is released to the public. In a time where “fake news” has become so prevalent it is more important now than ever before to take the proper steps so that ones personal reputation, as well as the reputation of journalists everywhere are not harmed. An example of an event in which the media cut corners and neglected to release the most accurate version of the story was the case of Trayvon Martin vs. George Zimmerman.
One paper that made several mistakes in not only its first, but also second piece on the death of Martin was the Orlando Sentinel. In their first article, which was an 86-word piece there was a quote saying “two men were arguing before shots were fired.” Two issues with this are, that both of the individuals involved are being addressed as men, when Martin was only 17 – a minor. The second issue here is that the quote makes it sound like both of the “men” were firing shots when it was only Zimmerman that had a firearm.
The next day, the Orlando Sentinel released a 152-word story naming Martin, citing his age and noting his Facebook page that listed Miami as his hometown. Once again Martin was a minor so why was this information being released to the public, especially this quickly? As if that isn’t bad enough the paper did not name Zimmerman, because, “because he has not been charged.”
Another paper that made a very serious mistake was the Miami Herald. Although, they did release Zimmerman’s name unlike the Orlando Sentinel, they understated the 28 year old’s age by three years.
Yet, the biggest mistake that these papers made was that they chose to withhold the one factor that would bring it in to the national spotlight, as well as result in a political uproar. The fact that the victim who was shot and killed was black, and his killer was not.
Analysis
Although most people would say that modern media has been very beneficial for journalism as well as diversity I feel that it has created an even greater divide between people. My reasons for this are because we now have specifically targeted cable news channels which allow people to live in a “bubble,” as well as the fact that social media has made it very easy for people to create and share information that is inaccurate and biased.
The way that this ties in to diversity in the news world, and more specifically the Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman case is the fact that things such as specifically targeted cable news channels, released the version of the story that they knew their viewers wanted to hear, instead of what needed to be heard. On Poynter.org their one article “Why ethics and diversity matter: The case of Trayvon Martin coverage” there was a quote that said “greater diversity = greater accuracy and fairness.” This quote stood out to me because one of the ethics that a journalists must follow is to be objective and accurate. No matter ones political views or stance on certain laws it is your job as a reporter to make sure that you are being fair to not only your readers but the victim as well. When it comes to a case such as Martin vs. Zimmerman it is especially important that one covers the story accurately and fairly.
In a second scholarly article titled “The Modern Newsroom Is Stuck Behind The Gender And Color Line,” it stated that “nationally, Hispanic, black and Asian women make up less than 5 percent of newsroom personnel at traditional print and online news publications, according to 2016 data from the American Society of News Editors.” I believe that having newsrooms that are so selfsame is very dangerous, and removes us from a whole other side of journalism that needs to be heard. Hearing white males discuss topics such as racism and sexism in their works makes the pieces less authentic since they have most likely not experienced either type of scrutiny.
Conclusion
After reading in depth about the coverage of this atrocity, as well as learning more about diversity in the news room (or rather lack of) I have gained a better understanding of why it is so important to be ethical in journalism. When it comes to covering a cause such as Martin vs. Zimmerman it is of the utmost importance that the journalist as well as their staff double check that the information they are releasing is accurate as well as ethical. When I read that papers decided to release in depth information about the victim but no specifics on the suspect I was shocked, and felt that the news outlet did not do their job to the best of their abilities. I think it is more important now than ever to discuss these issues because social media makes it so easy to share news in seconds, unfortunately even news that is inaccurate and biased. If we want journalism to be viewed in a professional and beneficial way we must do all that we can as a profession to be ethical and objective.
References
Abbady, T. (2017, May 01). The Modern Newsroom Is Stuck Behind The Gender And Color Line. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/05/01/492982066/the-modern-newsroom-is-stuck-behind-the-gender-and-color-line
Deggans, E. (2017, March 02). Why ethics and diversity matter: The case of Trayvon Martin coverage. Retrieved from https://www.poynter.org/news/why-ethics-and-diversity-matter-case-trayvon-martin-coverage