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NBC Apologizes For Editing Zimmerman 911 Call

Hugh Pickens writes "The Washington Post reports that NBC has completed its investigation into the Today show's mishandling of the police dispatcher's conversation with George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case with a finding of error, plus an apology. The apology addresses the show's failure to accurately abridge the conversation between Zimmerman and the dispatcher in this high-profile case. This is how the program portrayed a segment of that conversation: Zimmerman: 'This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black' Here what was actually said: Zimmerman: 'This guy looks like he's up to no good. Or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about.' Dispatcher: 'OK, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?' Zimmerman: 'He looks black.' In an appearance on Fox News's Hannity, Brent Bozell, president of the conservative Media Research Center, called this omission on the part of Today an 'all-out falsehood' — not just a distortion or misrepresentation. 'On the good front, [NBC] acknowledges the mistake and apologizes to viewers for the bad editing. It's a forthright correction and spares us any excuses about the faulty portrayal. On the bad front, the statement is skimpy on the details on just how the mistake unfolded,' writes Erik Wemple. 'In light of all that's happened, Zimmerman may be a tough person for a news network to apologize to, but that's just the point: Apologies are hard.'"

10 of 1,005 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Error My Ass by Petron · · Score: 4, Informative

    You don't know Zimmerman started the fight. From what I've seen reported, Zimmerman asked Martin a question, and Martin punched him, then jumped on Zimmerman and started to beat him.

    Keep in mind this "child" was 6'3" and 17 years old. Not the 12 year old boy the media is showing (Hmmm portray Martin as a young boy and Zimmerman as a racist (via doctored 911 call audio), and tried REALLY hard to portray Zimmerman as white, when he is Hispanic... Why would they do that?)

    Keep in mind, two days ago the police report was released on this. There are six adult witnesses on it. The cops did take Zimmerman's weapon as evidence and took 3 statements and a video statement.

    This is the Duke Lacrosse case all over again. The media tries to spin racial injustice (that's great for ratings!!!) but the facts (and DNA) say the accused is innocent.

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  2. Re:Error My Ass by Moheeheeko · · Score: 4, Informative

    What people constantly fail to point out is that in the past year, Zimmerman's neighborhood had been robbed 8 times by somone described as a "young black male." I would have called the cops to.

  3. Re:Error My Ass by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 4, Informative

    And 160 lbs at 6'3 is so skinny as to be a total non-threat. I know, because I've been there. Furthermore, there was no smashing the head into the pavement. Otherwise, he would have gotten a ride to the ER and a catscan to check for bleeding in the brain.

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    Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
  4. Re:Error My Ass by DaHat · · Score: 4, Informative

    I can't say I've seen any media presenting him as a 12 year old. Which leads me to theconclusion you're the one distorting.

    The photo of Mr. Martin in the red shirt is not from age 17, or even 16... but ~ age 12... as are the majority of the photos shown in the MSM... now his twitter accounts had more telling photos.... just as the mug shot looking photo of Mr. Zimmerman which has been splashed most places is similarly old and helping to lead to incorrect conclusions about both me.

    Zimmerman's race is irrelevant.

    Correct... but not to the media who labeled him as a white man from day one because it played into a narrative of "gun weilding white man gun downs young and unarmed black boy"... and only later backed away slightly as they realized their mistake.

    But the fact that he treated people as suspicious or not depending if they were black or not seems to be a matter of track record in his time acting as neighbourhood watch in the community.

    Care to support that argument? All credible information I've seen says just the opposite that people of all races in the community knew that he was someone who could be counted on.

  5. Re:Error My Ass by Moheeheeko · · Score: 4, Informative

    Reports from Martins girlfriend on the phone have the conversation down to martin asking why he was being followed, followed by Zimmerman asking "what are you doing here"

  6. Re:Error My Ass by LoyalOpposition · · Score: 5, Informative

    2.) no witnesses as to what happened

    Actually, there were five contemporaneous witnesses, not counting Martin and Zimmerman.

    ~Loyal

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    I aim to misbehave.
  7. Re:Error My Ass by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 4, Informative

    A gated community that had been robbed multiple times.

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    Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
  8. Re:Error My Ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Sorry but 911 operators have exactly zero authority to tell or order anyone to do anything.

    Also, stand your ground laws have nothing to do with this. The only reason they are mentioned is because some people vehemently oppose them and this seems like the perfect opportunity for them to complain about them. If someone hits you, knocking you down, jumps on you, and starts bashing your head into the pavement then standing your ground isn't even an issue. Self defense laws cover that situation already.

    You might want to rethink your opposition to stand your ground laws while you're at it. If you're legally obligated to run away instead of defending yourself then you can be herded like a lamb to the slaughter.

  9. Re:Error My Ass by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 4, Informative

    That link has no eye witness account. The only thing in it is that Zimmerman stated that he had been yelling for help. The only thing in it related to witnesses is the list of witnesses, and the fact that statements had been taken. Nothing about what those statements actually were.

    So if that's where you got your information from: you're just making shit up. Which is just one step away from lying about it.

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    Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
  10. Re:Error My Ass by ravenshrike · · Score: 4, Informative

    *cough*bullshit*cough* What the police have is a dead body, no witnesses to the start of the altercation(You cannot be penalized for a self defense claim when doing something legal), the only witness to see part of the altercation itself agrees completely with Zimmerman's story, wounds entirely consistent with his story unless you assume the arresting officers, paramedics, and lead investigator are all lying, and a self defense claim. Given that evidence, no prosecutor in their right mind is going to arrest because they don't have a snowflakes chance in hell of conviction.

    Hell, even the girlfriend's story has Martin confronting Zimmerman.