The New York Times‘ Brian Stelter writes about a potential trial in the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case, how big it has the potential to be, and why the media cares:
If the case goes to trial, “it has the potential to be as big as the O. J. Simpson trial — and just as divisive,” said Piers Morgan, the CNN interviewer.
Already, the fallout from the killing has become a prolonged and politically controversial news story. Along with giving Americans a shared national conversation, “it has filled the void left by a political process that lacks excitement or suspense,” said Jonathan Wald, the executive producer of Mr. Morgan’s program.
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As Stelter notes, in today’s crowded media landscape, citizens increasingly don’t want to have to rely on media personalities to tell them what they think. They want to become involved:
It was access to the 911 calls that helped galvanize national media attention for the case in mid-March. Suddenly, new evidence had entered the public domain — a boon for television networks since viewers these days are accustomed to what Tom Cibrowski, the senior executive producer of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” called “CSI-style investigations.”
“People want to hear for themselves, see for themselves, analyze for themselves,” he said.