The New York Times‘ Brian Stelter writes about a potential trial in the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case, how big it has the potential to be, and why the media cares:

If the case goes to trial, “it has the potential to be as big as the O. J. Simpson trial — and just as divisive,” said Piers Morgan, the CNN interviewer.

Already, the fallout from the killing has become a prolonged and politically controversial news story. Along with giving Americans a shared national conversation, “it has filled the void left by a political process that lacks excitement or suspense,” said Jonathan Wald, the executive producer of Mr. Morgan’s program.

As Stelter notes, in today’s crowded media landscape, citizens increasingly don’t want to have to rely on media personalities to tell them what they think. They want to become involved:

It was access to the 911 calls that helped galvanize national media attention for the case in mid-March. Suddenly, new evidence had entered the public domain — a boon for television networks since viewers these days are accustomed to what Tom Cibrowski, the senior executive producer of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” called “CSI-style investigations.”

“People want to hear for themselves, see for themselves, analyze for themselves,” he said.