The Importance Of Mass Media In The Trayvon Martin Case

In the Trayvon Martin case, the media frames the situation in a certain way. The media framed the story to drive up ratings, not necessarily for the truth. According to the eText in Module 2, framing is defined as “the idea of agenda setting in the sense that it suggests not only that media can tell us what topics to think about, but also may influence how we think about a given issue or problem depicted in mass media” (Module 2, The Importance of Mass Media). Framing also refers to the techniques mass media uses to emphasize certain values and themes over others. One of the techniques used to frame this case is dueling scenarios, according to the Orlando Sentinel Series article, “Dueling Scenarios.” The dueling scenarios, or competing viewpoints

There are two definitions, and I will focus on one of them. Racialization refers to the “expansion of denotatively neutral terms so that their connotative meaning includes a racial dimension” (Module 5, Language, Symbols, Race/Ethnicity). Clothing is a concept that has been racialized in society to judge people, specifically Latinos or African Americans. Denotatively, clothing is a neutral term but connotatively clothing can have a racial dimension. George Zimmerman himself said that Trayvon “looked suspicious.” (Dueling Scenarios). Trayvon was walking in a primarily white neighborhood, as the article “Minorities Often Face Pressure To Fit In” in the Orlando Sentinel Series specifically states Sanford census records show that the area is about 12% black. The article “Minorities Often Face Pressure To Fit In” states “something as simple as how a person dresses can give off the wrong image of someone’s personality.” Zimmerman was suspicious of Trayvon because typically a black man wearing a hoodie with his hands in his pockets is usually up to no good, which is why Zimmerman was suspicious. If he were white, Zimmerman would probably have been less

“The racial hierarchy positions whites at the top, blacks at the bottom (as the “fixed star”) and other racial groups in between” (Module 3, Differences in Experiences of U.S. Minority Groups). When Europeans encountered the people of other lands, they collected information about what they were seeing and experiencing. This became the basis for constructing a racial hierarchy. In Orlando Sentinel Series, the racial hierarchy between whites and blacks is seen in the article “Minorities often face pressure to fit in.” This article describes the experiences of LaVon Wright Bracy. She was a victim of racial hierarchy because white students at her school avoided the hallways she walked in and would leave the lunch table once she sat down. The white students didn’t think Bracy was good enough to sit with them or be around them due to the color of her skin. Racial hierarchy in contemporary times is a mindset that many people carry around with them, many times unconsciously. It guides people’s judgments and attitudes regarding their understanding of race relations, which is clearly seen in the case of