Zimmerman a case against the Media? And other bits

[Teh Bad Kittah]

Its a topic worth touching - The Media. How they've played a role in this whole affair thus far with the forefront being that of the racist Al Sharpton. Media has been an outlet for public prosecution for years and it isn't something new; we saw it before back during the Olympic bombing (The security guard that was attempting to evacuate people). Its an outlet for people to judge with extreme bias and hatred before facts aren't immediately available and/or the media twists the facts.

One example is the pictures posted. The image of Trayvon was that of years prior to the shoot to paint the picture that he was an innocent kid that wouldn't harm a fly. The real story behind Trayvon comes out. Whats to stereotype in an instance like this? Because he's black? Lets take a look at the Titanic. If you have someone dressed and mannered in the upper class no one is going to assume or ask questions. But if you're going up there dressed in a manner that isn't common with the neighborhood people are going to look and ask questions. Funny how things like that work.

But that proves nothing Amora, he was a harmless kid that never even touched Zimmerman. He never got his head smashed into the ground and zimmerman is just a racist punk! Oh well well well - photos are finally out.

So you have a kid that doesn't fit in the neighborhood based on the way he was dressed, had issues at school to include drug use, and going down the list with his rap sheet paints a psychological profile for a trouble maker. Did Zimmerman know that at the time? Of course not but it highlights that Trayvon was far from a harmless kid.

So everyone thinks Zimmerman is guilty first and foremost without the facts coming out - what is worse, that gross racist Al Sharpton is slithering his way into the Media again. You would think a man of this caliber wouldn't be taken seriously, specially after that fiasco of the Duke Lacross players. For those that don't know the situation, Al Sharpton called the players racists (Because they were white) for beating and "raping" a female (Who happened to be black). They were proven innocent and Sharpton hasn't apologized. But if it is a crime on a black person, the other person is instantly a racist in Sharpton's world. He's blind to his own racist tendencies.

I hope very well Zimmerman is found innocent. But AMORA! He was TOLD not to follow him by law enforcement! Actually, 911 Operators can't give legal advice/statements. They have no jurisdiction. They are operators that dispatch and communicate with law enforcement they aren't law enforcement. So the Media going about saying he ignored law enforcement suggestion/advice is utter lies trying to paint the picture in the Media that Zimmerman is a reckless, racist, vigilante who was fixing to go after this kid and do something about him personally.

The Media is a major fault in this case. Discuss

Expecting mass thread dislikes despite the great discussion potential due to ED-P trolls with Amora Derangement Syndrome and their numerous smurf accounts.

[Grand Monarch of Heaven]

The media always hypes things up and this is no different. They fuel the racial tensions in this nation and the end result will be more harm than good for everyone involved

[Old Blue Collar Joe]

Those that edited the audio and lightened his mug shots? Yeah. They are definitely standing ground for some lawsuits, and they will come, and be worth millions. But it won't be until after the trial is over with.
The shitbag Sharpton has been sued before for this s**t, and still hasn't paid up. Nor is the Duke situation the only one he's been involved in.
I'm not speaking on the case itself, merely the media and their twisting of facts for purposes of a headline or two.
Journalistic integrity is a myth any more.

[Omorose Panya]

Few things:

Teh Bad Kittah

One example is the pictures posted. The image of Trayvon was that of years prior to the shoot to paint the picture that he was an innocent kid that wouldn't harm a fly. The real story behind Trayvon comes out. Whats to stereotype in an instance like this? Because he's black? Lets take a look at the Titanic. If you have someone dressed and mannered in the upper class no one is going to assume or ask questions. But if you're going up there dressed in a manner that isn't common with the neighborhood people are going to look and ask questions. Funny how things like that work.

This is one of those interesting, strong cultural points that prompts racial questions.

Firstly, I keep hearing that Trayvon was portrayed as a "saint," but the coverage I've seen, both national and local, merely painted him as innocent in the sense that he was young, unarmed, and murdered with no implication that his death was merited. I have to wonder if there was a slew of coverage I missed that portrayed him as the lesser known other son of God or some kind of holy figure, because otherwise I don't understand the reasoning behind the accusations.

Of course race is called into question. What is our problem with the media not initially portraying Trayvon as a criminal? And how is not portraying him as a criminal portraying him as some kind of saint? Mandatory speculative question: Would Trayvon's protrayal of innocence in this sense be such a problem if he were, say, a young white woman?

Secondly, and this is more of a continuation of the first point than an entirely new one, what is up with scrapping at the bottom of the barral to try to portray him as a criminal? So far the only thing that has been confirmed is that he got in trouble for smoking pot, and yet I still see all of this speculation that he was an incredibly violent kid. That is fine and well if there were solid evidence, such as police reports against him, complaints from the school about him, or convictions, but there are no such thing. Some of us seem to have an awful lot of trouble accepting the possibility that he just wan't a violent criminal.

Teh Bad Kittah

But that proves nothing Amora, he was a harmless kid that never even touched Zimmerman. He never got his head smashed into the ground and zimmerman is just a racist punk! Oh well well well - photos are finally out.

Do you have a source that is more credible than thehollywoodgossip.com?


As for everyone thinking that Zimmerman is guilty, what are you implying? That he didn't actually kill Trayvon and that this is some kind of media conspiracy? Because we're reasonably certain that Zimmerman did kill him.


On an unrelated note, Zimmerman took a cheap shot by apologizing at his court appearance. He had over 50 days to do it and Trayvon's parents were willing to hear him out at one point, but he decided to do it when he could potentially benefit by winning a sympathy vote. :/

[Wendigo]

Teh Bad Kittah

So you have a kid that doesn't fit in the neighborhood based on the way he was dressed,

I don't believe that to be a true statement - I've never lived in a gated community, myself, but I don't think the teenagers in such communities choose formal attire for most social occasions. The "hoodie" is a very common choice by young people of all descriptions, being a comfortable and functional garment, particularly on a rainy night like the one Trayvon was shot.

Quote:

had issues at school to include drug use,

Dunno how things were at your school, but that was most of my graduating class. (Although relatively few were caught red-handed and punished.)

Quote:

But AMORA! He was TOLD not to follow him by law enforcement! Actually, 911 Operators can't give legal advice/statements. They have no jurisdiction. They are operators that dispatch and communicate with law enforcement they aren't law enforcement.

Also true of the neighborhood watch.

The thing is, nothing good could possibly have come of Zimmerman following an actual dangerous criminal alone in the middle of the night. Dangerous criminals are dangerous. You can get killed doing that. The dispatcher was doing her best to protect everyone involved - including, of course, the guy Zimmerman wanted to follow, who may have had other business than burglary on his mind. And Zimmerman, who is of course just a doughy, unemployed busy-body with a firearm, not a loose cannon cop who plays by his own rules.

[GunsmithKitten]

My sole concern is why the FL. State Attorney got personally involved, an act of legal clout the which that should be FAR beyond some no name like himself. I also don't exactly care for the fact that me, someone who only pulled a gun in self defense in a VIDEO TAPED incident with multiple witnesses all having corroborating stories was grilled and investigated harder than Zim who actually used lethal force under murkier circumstances.

But I'm waiting for the medical examiner before I pass anymore judgements.

[The rose in spring]

The only people who are making this a race issue are the talking heads who want to brandish criticism as reverse racism to keep a retarded law in place.

[Bubsy]

Drug use, gangsta pictures, and old pictures used in the media is still not a justification for murder.

By some articles I have read, Zimmerman was not a horrible person and the media portraying him as such is obviously false.

But what keeps me curious is who shot first?

[Princess Creampie]

LET"S RAPE THIS b***h a** HONKEY! MAN, I ******** HATE THIS b***h a** n***a THAT I'MA READY TO c**k SLAP SOME BITCHES!

[Synthetic Synergia]

Gen_Desolas Arterius

LET"S RAPE THIS b***h a** HONKEY! MAN, I ******** HATE THIS b***h a** n***a THAT I'MA READY TO c**k SLAP SOME BITCHES!

With you on our side, victory is assured!

[Bento the spazcat]

honestly, I think Zimmerman has a pretty decent defmation of character case against a few media outlets. Even now there's a large sentiment that he's guilty thanks to the picture they painted of him early in the case before the bloody skull pics showed up.

Personaly, I hope this is the first domino in media broadcast reform that helps stop yellow reporting like this. Facts are facts, they don't need any extra dressing up.

[Old Blue Collar Joe]

Bento the spazcat

honestly, I think Zimmerman has a pretty decent defmation of character case against a few media outlets. Even now there's a large sentiment that he's guilty thanks to the picture they painted of him early in the case before the bloody skull pics showed up.

Personaly, I hope this is the first domino in media broadcast reform that helps stop yellow reporting like this. Facts are facts, they don't need any extra dressing up.

They'll pay him a few million each to settle the case, but they have made ten times that, so they'll view it as the cost of doing business. Now that the photo's of his bloody head have came out, several prosecutors and defenders have flat out stated that, unless somehow the prosecutor in Florida didn't see those pictures, this would have never made it to a judge.
They can say what they want. This is a purely political trial.

[Less Than Liz]

Ha, I was skeptical of the defamation claim and went to fool around on West Law, when this statute came up:

Whoever speaks of and concerning any woman, married or unmarried, falsely and maliciously imputing to her a want of chastity, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Fla. Stat. Ann. § 836.04 (West).

Cute.

Bento the spazcat

honestly, I think Zimmerman has a pretty decent defmation of character case against a few media outlets. Even now there's a large sentiment that he's guilty thanks to the picture they painted of him early in the case before the bloody skull pics showed up.

Personaly, I hope this is the first domino in media broadcast reform that helps stop yellow reporting like this. Facts are facts, they don't need any extra dressing up.

Anyway, quick glance says that, unless Zimmerman can prove actual malice ("showing of knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for truth" ) by the media, he likely won't be able to recover punitive damages and will be limited to damages for "actual" injury. In Florida, the standard of care in that instance is negligence ("publication of false and defamatory statements without reasonable care to determine their falsity." )

I doubt Zimmerman could show actual malice for most media corporations. Whoever posted the edited 911 call might be in a different boat, but I'm not sure what, if anything, Florida has done with regard to agency liability - and I hate corporations so I'm not going to look it up. It's feasible that, if the state has seen fit to abrogate liability, even if the clip's editor is found to have actually been malicious, the corporation might not be liable. As for the negligence standard for all other reporting...yeaaah, good luck. Courts are wary of interpreting falsity broadly because it could have the effect of chilling speech. Most often times, false just means false, not showing a picture of a guy in an orange shirt.

Oh, and I'm using Florida law even though odds are these places are incorporated in Delaware. I don't really want to get into a choice of law/personal jurisdiction debate. Suffice to say that DE law is even friendlier to corporations; it's probably the most corporate-friendly of all states.

Again, just skimming.

[Omorose Panya]

Bento the spazcat

honestly, I think Zimmerman has a pretty decent defmation of character case against a few media outlets. Even now there's a large sentiment that he's guilty thanks to the picture they painted of him early in the case before the bloody skull pics showed up.

Are the bloody skull pics posted on anything other than tabloid websites?

[Oidin]

Omorose Panya

Are the bloody skull pics posted on anything other than tabloid websites?

You mean the one from abc?