The Trayvon Martin shooting has gripped the nation for weeks now. In my Townhall column on the subject, nearly two weeks ago when we didn’t know as much of what we think we know now, I withheld judgment on the actual responsibility for the shooting:
We know too little about Mr. Zimmerman’s state of mind before or during this tragic clash. But whether his shooting of Trayvon Martin was spurred by race or an itchy trigger finger or a hero complex or something we know absolutely nothing about, or was actually somehow in self defense, is beside the point.
The point is that our justice system ought to get to the bottom of it.
And I concluded that public reaction and a free press were doing what is required in such cases, spurring government action.
But I need to make an amendment: Not all media are equal; some have behaved in socially irresponsible ways. NBC especially. This major news source aired George Zimmerman’s call to the police, but with a drastic editorial cut — and this sound edit pre-disposed all listeners to think Mr. Zimmerman a racist. After an “investigation,” the network apologized.
But not on air. Those poor souls relying on NBC still may think that Zimmerman was racially profiling Martin, could think nothing but.
Shame on NBC for not apologizing on air, but in a press release. And for not apologizing to Mr. Zimmerman. And for offering no explanation of what happened. The news source’s sound edit was more than a distortion, says Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center, it advanced “a falsehood.”
Poor reporting is disappointing, but the press bearing false witness is something much worse.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
10 replies on “NBC Bears False Witness”
What they are broadcasting is not “news”. It is propaganda.
thats so true
A friend of mine once said the media was a giant grist mill, that just grinds everything into dust. I agree, but its function since the effective total control of the mainstream media by the WFO (Western Financial Oligarchy) after WWII with Operation Mockingbird (http://www.prisonplanet.com/analysis_louise_01_03_03_mockingbird.html) is as a propaganda ministry, with right and left tinges. Nothing that challenges the ‘ruling class’ will be admitted into public news legitimacy.
Having stated that, this latest episode re: Trayvon Martin is so obviously biased that the lowest of ‘sheeple’ are becoming suspicious. It obviously serves the rulers to equate private gun ownership and use with murderous racism. The (not very well) hidden agenda is further expropriation and, ultimately, mass imprisonment of those who dare to physically resist the state power.
Don’t forget ABC and the way they did their utmost to hide any indication of Zimmerman’s own injuries. They deliberately made the picture fuzzy.
Your last sentence reminded me of Rodney King. The media’s failure to give us the whole story of what went on that day makes them culpable.
I’m surprised anyone watches NBC anymore. They were once my prime source for news but that changed about eight years ago. I gave up on them in the summer of 2004.
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This whole episode is troubling to me as to how many, such as a recent column in Time Magazine, are jumping in on this episode to endanger the stand your ground and/or castle doctrines allowing self defense. Reporting on this episode has been sporadic, and on both sides, one sided. The only person who actually knows what happened is Mr Zimmerman. Time and the left would like nothing else than to repeal the stand your ground law. Perhaps a revision should be made to the law to specify that the right to shoot should only be in self defense, and perhaps pursuing a person and then shooting them would deny you protection under the law unless there were extenuating circumstances such as the other person stating he was at that point en route to harm a member of your family etc. We cannot allow a good and arguably law be taken away based upon this one questionably episode.
I wouldn’t expect any less from NBC.
…. Poor reporting is disappointing ….
That America’s formerly “mainstream” now pathologically Fascist Media are Goebbelsesque to a man is not a disappointment.
It’s an obscenity.
And a direct and deadly threat to our beloved fraternal republic.
NBC’s false report is so serious it seems to me to be criminal behavior. I think there should be criminal charges made, or at the very least they should be sued.
[…] One thing we learned during the case is that journalists are not always reliable, the infamous NBC redaction of the 911 call being only the most obvious […]