Just reviewed a video about the Trayvon Martin shooting, from a group called "Afterburner." It paints Trayvon Martin in a very negative light. This video distresses me in so many ways, as someone who has worked in journalism and as an American.
First off, I don't think it's right to try to ruin the reputation of someone who isn't alive to defend himself. Especially since his parents are still grieving his loss.
Second, the video claims to be providing the "facts," yet it wrongly presents as fact several assumptions that have never been proven. It claims Martin was high on "lean," an addictive drug made from common store-bought ingredients. There's absolutely no proof that the drink and the Skittles he bought could even be used to make lean, and no evidence that he had any lean in his system, yet the video wrongly presents this as fact.
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The video also claims that Zimmerman repeatedly called for help, but the experts who examined the 911 tapes were unable to determine if the voice belonged to Zimmerman or Martin. Again, the video is presenting something as fact that hasn't been proven.
The narrator states that Martin landed "mixed martial arts blows." How does he know this? The only living witness to this confrontation is Zimmerman. Unless the show's producers went back in time to personally watch the fight, it's not physically possible for anyone to know for sure if Martin delivered "martial arts" blows.
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I'm not saying that it's not possible Zimmerman feared for his life. My beef with this video is that it violates the basic principles of journalism. It's unprofessional and irresponsible to present an unproven accusation as fact. This legally can be considered slander. If someone wants to present a view that supports Zimmerman, I don't have a problem with that. But they should at least present the information accurately.
