Trayvon Martin: A Story of Media Escalation in 5 Acts
illustration by Lyla Duey | lyladuey.com
Trayvon Martin Media Ecosystem
Act I: Not a StoryTrigger: Feb 26—Trayvon Martin killed
Feb 27—MyFOXOrlando broadcasts first local news coverage
Mar 2—Miami Herald, in an article later retracted for errors, is first to publish George Zimmerman, Trayvon’s killer’s name
Mar 5—Trayvon’s parents hire lawyer Benjamin Crump, who starts working pro bono to publicize Trayvon’s case to the press and civil rights activists
Act II: Building PressureTrigger: Mar 7—First national press
(Reuters)
Mar 8—CBS Morning News runs the story on TV, then Huffington Post picks it up and begins regular coverage
Mar 7—Reuters publishes first national news story with quotes from Crump suggesting racial profiling
Act III: Attention SkyrocketsTrigger: Mar 16—Police release 911 tapes
Mar 16—Police release tapes of Zimmerman’s 911 calls on night of killing
Mar 21—Million Hoodie March takes place in New York City
Mar 22—Rally organized by Rev. Al Sharpton, one of Crump’s contacts, draws thousands to demonstrate for Zimmerman’s arrest in Sanford, FL
Act IV: Political Agenda WarsTrigger: Mar 23—Obama addresses the
case
Mar 26—Trayvon’s family deliver 2 million Change.org petition signatures to local law enforcement
Mar 28—Activists launch campaign against ALEC, a supporter of ‘Stand your Ground’ laws, by leveraging Trayvon’s death
Act IV: Political Agenda WarsThe Left against ALEC and ‘Stand your
Ground’ laws
Act IV: Political Agenda WarsThe Right against blame-free portrayal of
Trayvon
Act V: Tabloid Court CaseTrigger: Apr 11—Zimmerman charged and
arrested
Apr 20—Drudge Report links to story of a young, black Chicagoan claiming to beat up a white man out of anger over Trayvon case
Apr 23—The Tallahassee Democrat runs a flattering piece on Crump, detailing his publicity efforts, which he republishes on his site
Trayvon Martin Media Ecosystem