People Magazine: A loss of integrity

People Magazine: a loss of integrity

People Magazine’s most recent cover displays an image of Trayvon Martin approximately two years into his second decade. This deliberate distortion is enhanced by provocative verbiage intended to stir racial tensions in communities already ripe for violence. When Trayvon was killed his reported body dimensions were that of a 6 foot 2 inch male weighing 170 pounds, not the diminutive person seen on the cover of this once relevant piece of trash. Fueling racial hatreds are scores of individuals who have used every means available to them in an attempt to start a race war. People magazine’s decision to run an old photo of a young Trayvon Martin adds to the chorus of those who want street justice outside the civil domain. Oprah, Obama, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and many more are now on the same page exploiting a tragedy for their own benefits. Information is trickling out from many sources that Al Sharpton’s version of events, surrounding this tragic death, are inconsistent with a reality that has yet to be fully verified. People magazine and other trash media have sent their best reporters out to spin this news story to a format that has no legs. Who initiated the assault is the question of the day! Did the purported gunman, George Zimmerman, have probable cause to fire his weapon or is he the murderer the enumerated gang wants to believe. Sharpton has several deaths attributed to his race hustling past. These gruesome murders were connected to Sharpton’s activities during racial protests in New York City. He’s back with a herd of recruits to inflame passions over a case that has not been fully reviewed. People magazine, in its desperate attempt to stay relevant, paradoxically has become the antithesis of its own intent. Perhaps they should have published a picture of George Zimmerman when he was 12 alongside Trayvon Martin’s image to bring balance to their reporting. They chose not to. People magazine’s integrity was never stellar now the rest of the light has gone out.  Mark Davis MD, President of Healthnets Review Services, platomd@gmail.com