A lesson learned in journalism

The University of Texas at Austin’s newspaper, The Daily Texan, has made headlines around the whole United States for publishing a controversial cartoon blaming the media for sensationalizing the Trayvon Martin case.

Martin, 17, was shot and killed on Feb. 26 by a volunteer neighborhood watch coordinator named George Zimmerman while Martin was walking to his father’s fiancée’s home in Sanford, Florida, according to CBS Miami. The incident sparked outrage throughout the nation because many people believe Zimmerman’s actions were provoked by racism, as Martin was black and was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and because Zimmerman was not arrested after the incident, according to Reuters.

“The honorable journalism tradition of presenting thoughtful opinion and commentary, the ‘editorial,’ is under fire and with it the First Amendment promise of free speech,” CultureMap Austin Editor in Chief Kevin Benz said in a column about the newspaper’s cartoon.

At first, Stephanie Eisner, the Daily Texan cartoonist, defended herself by saying she was just trying to make a point by saying the media was being biased, according to The Daily Texan. However, she later publically apologized for being ambiguous, NPR reported. “I intended to contribute thoughtful commentary on the media coverage of the incident, however this goal fell flat,” Eisner said.

This was definitely a learning experience for the students who work at The Daily Texan. As the newspaper’s editorial adviser Doug Warren said in an editorial, “The Texan staff is learning — to do their jobs and about the impact that their work has on the members of the community they serve,” urging everyone to take a deep breath before judging the newspaper staff, the New York Daily News reported.