April 12, 2012 11:36AM 

# Why Is Press Coverage of the Martin/​Zimmerman Case So Bad? 

By [Walter Olson](https://www.cato.org/people/walter-olson) 

---

<a class="js-popover-trigger cursor-pointer popover-trigger" data-bs-placement="bottom" data-bs-trigger="click" id="popover-trigger"> 

SHARE 

</a> 

In addition to my two [earlier](https://www.cato.org/in-defense-of-stand-your-ground-laws/) [posts](https://www.cato.org/the-myths-and-realities-of-stand-your-ground-laws/) in this space on Stand Your Ground (SYG) laws, which I recommend reading in conjunction with Tim Lynch’s [three](https://www.cato.org/the-trayvon-martin-shooting-just-the-facts/) [recent](https://www.cato.org/stand-your-ground-laws-contd/) [posts](https://www.cato.org/stand-your-ground-law-and-evidence/), I’ve been doing a lot of writing on SYG and other issues in the Trayvon Martin/​George Zimmerman case. Here are some links:

- I wrote an op-ed for the *Daily Caller* on how the *Washington Post*, on both its editorial and reporting side, has been [advancing misconceptions](http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/09/why-the-washington-post-is-wrong-about-stand-your-ground-laws/) about SYG laws, especially about the purported increase in uses of deadly force in self-defense. More on “justifiable homicide” statistics [here](http://overlawyered.com/2012/04/a-further-note-on-justifiable-homicide-stats/).
- At *Overlawyered*, I try to answer [Ann Althouse’s question](http://althouse.blogspot.com/2012/04/nyt-characterizes-decision-whether-to.html) as to why there was such a rush in many quarters to pile on the SYG law as the supposed culprit. My answer: “because many people yearn for ways to blame their ideological opponents [when something awful happens](http://overlawyered.com/2012/04/zimmerman-in-custody-charged-with-second-degree-murder/).”
- I also have a post about how, while there are many to blame for sensationalized, inflammatory, and racially oriented coverage of a case like this, the [lawyers tend to set the tone](http://overlawyered.com/2012/04/lawyers-who-continue-to-make-irresponsible-statements-to-the-media/). And I [note](http://overlawyered.com/2012/04/martinzimmerman-civil-suit/) that with an impending civil suit by the Martin family, the former “self-appointed vigilante” is now due to reappear as “designated agent of the homeowners’ association.”
- For more background on the (non-)applicability of SYG to the case, I did a nine-minute [video interview](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5h-f4h4Fvk&feature=youtu.be) with Lee Pacchia at *Bloomberg Law* on the subject, which aired on Monday, following my Cato Daily [audio podcast](https://www.cato.org/multimedia/daily-podcast/trayvon-martin-stand-ground-law). And don’t miss [this Reuters analysis](http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2012/04_-_April/ANALYSIS-Zimmerman_s_challenge_in_citing_Stand_Your_Ground/) on how SYG plays out in actual Florida courtrooms (“winning immunity could be quite difficult… \[J\]udges have granted immunity just nine times since 2005.”)

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Constitutional Law](https://www.cato.org/constitutional-law), [Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies](https://www.cato.org/robert-levy-center-constitutional-studies) 

[![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) 
This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).