Regarding his coverage on the shooting of Trayvon Martin, CNN anchor Don Lemon addresses racist accusations after receiving incendiary tweets.
Don Lemon Addresses Racist Accusations – Accusations of Racism
Don Lemon Addresses Racist Accusations After Coverage of Trayvon Martin – photo provided by Glistsociety.com
Don Lemon addresses racist accusations after receiving inflammatory tweets about his coverage on the Trayvon Martin shooting that accuse the CNN anchor of being racist. While on air, Lemon addressed the viewers and directed them to stop sending him tweets about his coverage over Trayvon Martin. Lemon, who was one of the first reporters to cover the story, called for those commenting on his coverage and reporting to stop sending him tweets labeling him as a racist,
“Please don’t send me any more tweets that by having this conversation, I’m a racist or a race-baiter. This is a conversation we all need to have, so relax on that.”
Don Lemon went even further by sharing one of the tweets that he deemed ridiculous,
“Don Lemon, you are a racist. You are fixated on this one issue over and over. We want to hear the news, not your personal agenda. Go work for BET.”
Don Lemon Addresses Racist Accusations – Critics with Hateful Remarks
Don Lemon’s coverage on the Trayvon Martin shooting, in which Martin was shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in late February while not being armed, led to daily coverage of the developing story by Lemon, which in turn, inspired many critics of the reporter to make hateful remarks. According to the Huffington Post, Lemon was not the only reporter accused of being racist, as analyst Goldie Taylor also commented on the issue stating that,
“I’ve been called the ‘n’ word more, collectively, over the last 72 hours than I have my whole life. It is amazing to me what people will say with the anonymity of a tweet.”
Don Lemon Addresses Racist Accusations – Responsibility
The issue of race is a reoccurring issue in the case of the Trayvon Martin shooting, as some suspect that race played a role in the shooting. However, others are skeptical considering Zimmerman is a minority himself. Both Lemon and Taylor agree that they are obligated to handle this story carefully while also encouraging responsibility from viewers.
