As Grand Jury Assembles, Republicans, Whites Say Trayvon Getting Too Much Coverage
Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Afro American Newspaper
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The killing of Florida teen Trayvon Martin story has been a fixture on national newscasts and headlines for a month, but a majority of Republicans and Whites believe there has been too much coverage of the story, a new report found.
According to the News Interest Index survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center, 56 percent of Republicans said the Martin story has received too much coverage, compared to 25 percent of Democrats. The weekly survey was conducted from March 29 to April 1 and surveyed 1,000 adults to measure the public’s attentiveness to major news stories.
The report also found that 43 percent of Whites said the Martin story has received too much coverage, compared to 16 percent of Blacks. Overall, 37 percent of participants believed the story has garnered excessive coverage, while 40 percent of respondents were satisfied with the amount of media attention the story has received. Just 14 percent of participants said the story has gotten too little coverage.
The controversial story has incited uproar in the Black community, with several celebrities, civil rights groups and media personalities accusing Martin's killer, George Zimmerman, of targeting the 17-year-old because he was Black. The neighborhood watchman has claimed self-defense in the case.
Debate has raged over whether the teen attacked Zimmerman after he was approached during the Feb. 26 incident. Funeral director Richard Kurtz, who handled Martin's body said on Headline News’ "Nancy Grace Show” March 28 that he saw no signs of struggle on the teen’s hands and didn't observe any evidence that the teen had been involved in a fight.
Kurtz’s claims came days after George Zimmerman's father and Sanford, Fla. law enforcement asserted that Martin had severely beaten Zimmerman by punching him in the nose and repeatedly slamming his head on the ground.
Initial footage of Zimmerman being taken into custody shortly after he killed the teen showed no evidence to support claims that he had been beaten, but enhanced video footage released by ABC News shows the neighborhood watchman with a gash on his head. The footage does not show Zimmerman with any blood on his shirt or an injured nose, however.
Sources told ABC News that the surveillance tape of Zimmerman could ultimately be used as evidence if he is brought up on charges. State prosecutors will go before a Seminole County, Fla. grand jury on April 10 to determine if any charges will be filed.