Obstruction of true justice: The media's manipulation of Trayvon Martin's death

The narrative surrounding the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin seems to change by the day... and the mainstream media seems to have a vested interest in its outcome.

There's been misleading video and edited audio.  NBC has launched an "internal investigation" after the "Today" show ran the edited audio of George Zimmerman's phone call to a police dispatcher in which Zimmerman says: "'This guy looks like he's up to no good … he looks black." But a transcript of the complete 911 call reveals the NBC version was selectively edited to portray George Zimmerman as a racial profiler.

"This guy looks like he's up to no good. Or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about," Zimmerman said.

The 911 officer responded saying, "OK, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?"

"He looks black," Zimmerman replied.

Now, the Orlando Sentinel is reporting that video which previously suggested Zimmerman exaggerated injuries sustained during the run-in with Martin also has a different story to tell.  A newly enhanced version of police surveillance video from the night the teenager was shot more clearly shows a possible gash or injury on the back of Zimmerman's head.

It seems evident that at least some in the media have taken a strict stance against Zimmerman in this case, including NBC's own Al Sharpton who has personally led rallies demanding Zimmerman be thrown in prison.  Take for instance the photos most widely used in the media of the shooter and victim:

The most widely published picture of Martin, released by his family, shows a smiling, round-cheeked 13-year-old in a red tee shirt. But at his death, Martin was 17 years old:

The mugshot of Zimmerman in an orange jail jumpsuit isn't from the night he shot Martin, but from seven years ago when he was accused of assaulting an officer (the charges were later dropped).  Here's a more recent look at the now 28-year-old Zimmerman:

A picture of an innocent-looking teenager next to his shooter's old mugshot seems like a clear manipulation of facts and imagery to make readers/viewers come to a very clear conclusion: Martin was an innocent kid and Zimmerman is a violent criminal.

This is exactly what's wrong with the mainstream media and why we strive to be better, because the truth has no agenda -- facts still matter and mere accusations are not judge and jury.