NY Times Readers React To NBC Zimmerman Editing Fraud

Last night the Media Decoder BLOG at the New York Times revealed that an NBC News fired a producer for fraudulently editing the George Zimmerman phone call tape in a pathetic attempt to make him look like he was racially motivated when he shot Trayvon Martin in Sanford, FL:

NBC News has fired a producer who was involved in the production of a misleading segment about the Trayvon Martin case in Florida.

The person was fired on Thursday, according to two people with direct knowledge of the disciplinary action who declined to be identified discussing internal company matters. They also declined to name the fired producer. A spokeswoman for NBC News declined to comment.

The action came in the wake of an internal investigation by NBC News into the production of the segment, which strung together audio clips in such a way that made George Zimmerman’s shooting of Mr. Martin sound racially motivated. Ever since the Feb. 26 shooting, there has been a continuing debate about whether race was a factor in the incident.

The segment in question was shown on the “Today” show on March 27. It included audio of Mr. Zimmerman saying, “This guy looks like he’s up to no good. He looks black.”

But Mr. Zimmerman’s comments had been taken grossly out of context by NBC. On the phone with a 911 dispatcher, he actually said of Mr. Martin, “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.” Then the dispatcher asked, “O.K., and this guy — is he white, black or Hispanic?” Only then did Mr. Zimmerman say, “He looks black.”

For the blog author, Brian Stelter, the most painful part of his story had to be this acknowledgement:

The editing of the segment was initially noticed by NewsBusters, an arm of the Media Research Center, a conservative media monitoring group. 

So where was the Mainstream Media in getting at the truth of this fraudulent editing job? MIA as usual. And even this Times blog buys into the laughable notion that this was somehow just a mistake:

The people with direct knowledge of the firing characterized the misleading edit as a mistake, not a purposeful act.

Sure, sure just an innocent mistake. Does anybody buy that? So far the DUmmies and the KOmmies haven't reacted to this but here are the reactions of the Timesies. Most of the comments are posted by normal people but what is interesting are the lame reactions from the sputtering leftwingers. So let us now watch the Timesies response to this latest NBC News scandal in Bolshevik Red while the commentary of your humble correspondent, again reminding everybody that it was NEWSBUSTERS which first exposed this fraudulent editing, is in the [brackets]:

When I listed to his calls the first thing that came to mind that he was targeting a black person. His tone of voice, what he was saying, how he described the man, that the man had no reason for being where he was, etc, etc, he was deliberately vague and hesitated before mentioning race because I believe he realized that he was on shaky ground. He continued trailing Martin despite being clearly advised not to do so. He seems determined to confront Martin no matter what. If it was a strange white or hispanic man would he have pursued them the way he did? I doubt it. His actions were driven by racial animus for a black man. 

[That's what you get for listening to the FRAUDULENTLY edited NBC audio. However, now that they have been exposed, you still won't change your mind. You've got your "Zimmerman as racist" theme hardwired into your tiny brain no matter what the evidence says.]

I didn't read NBC apologizing directly to Mr. Zimmerman.



[You also didn't read Spike Lee apologizing to Zimmerman for giving out an address (which proved incorrect) in an attempt to get a hit on him.]

What a farce. The edit didn't alter the racist nature of the attack one iota. Andrew Brietbart stitched together lying narratives out of whole cloth and the national media praised his pluck then eulogized him on his death. The right puts a little pressure on NBC and another truth teller is thrown to the side of the road. Any "right" thinking person understands what happened that night. When one listens to the entire, enhanced tape the racist venom coming from Zimmerman is undeniable, not to mention the mounds of other evidence. 

[What evidence? As usual this leftwing loon leaves that out.]

Does it really matter? 

[Um, yeah.]

Somebody had to go out of their way to carefully calculate exactly where to cut & what to rejoin it to make that soundbite as deceptively inflammatory as possible while still making sense. It's preposterous to contend otherwise. 

[But that is exactly what NBC News is contending. I wonder if Brian Williams will report his as a "mistake" with a straight face?]

The producer has a promising future over at Fox News. 

[NBC News commits the crime and FOX News somehow gets the blame.]

Readers of NYT who wonder if the mainstream media gives them the full story should make a regular effort to check out Newsbusters.com. Brent Bozell and Media Research Center regularly expose bias and unprofessionalism such as this on a daily basis. These formerly venerable news organisations distort the regular flow of news to further their own political agenda, and Newsbusters calls them out on it every time. Congratulations, Brent. They won't be able to ignore you after this. 

[Amen!]

Not to excuse the Today incident, but at least NBC took action. Fox often plays fast and loose with the truth with slick editing all the time, with never any correction or apology.

[And of course, no SPECIFICS from this loon.]

Unfortunately this plays right into the mouths of those who are always ranting about left-wing media bias. 

[So sad when the painful TRUTH does not fit the leftwing script.]