Trayvon Martin case exposes worst in media

[X Factor 1,112]

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The Trayvon Martin case has exposed some of the media's worst tendencies--selective editing, rushing to judgment, stoking anger for ratings and page views--and it's taken more than fake photos, the incendiary stumbles of Geraldo Rivera and Spike Lee and verbal clashes between Piers Morgan and Toure to shine a light on them.

Here are three recent, troubling examples:

1. After ABC News aired surveillance video of George Zimmerman, Martin's shooter, entering a police precinct without any apparent injuries, the Daily Caller treated the tape like a Zapruder film, enhancing still images from the video and concluding that it found "what may be an injury to the back of his head." The site's photo "analysis" of the back of Zimmerman's head--replete with yellow Photoshopped arrows--"indicates what appears to be a vertical laceration or scar several inches long."

[Related: Video of Zimmerman arriving at police station]

Keep in mind, this is the same Daily Caller that published 152 pages of what the conservative site claims were Martin's tweets--which, if they were, prove that Martin was a pretty typical high school male, preoccupied with girls, sex and getting out of class early.

2. NBC told the Washington Post that it has launched an internal investigation of the "Today" show's editorial process after its morning show aired an edited conversation between George Zimmerman and a 911 dispatcher recorded moments before the shooting. The investigation came after Fox News and others pointed out that the network spliced two parts of the call together, making it appear as if Zimmerman had said, "This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black." In reality, Zimmerman was answering a dispatcher's question:

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.

3. In an flailing effort to break news in a month-old shooting, CBS News aired an interview with Richard Kurtz, the funeral director who handled Trayvon Martin's burial.

[Related: Geraldo Rivera finds the "real culprit"]

"There were no physical signs like there had been a scuffle," Kurtz declared, which the network said proves Zimmerman's claims of a violent encounter with Martin before the shooting are false. "The hands--I didn't see any knuckles, bruises or what have you, and that is something we would have covered up if it would have been there. He looked perfectly normal to me when he came in and the story just does not make sense that he was in this type of scuffle or fight in anything that we could see."

[lostinblue 1,989]

The media wants a good old fashion race war . You need to protect obama at all cost and he cannot run on his record.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Integrity in regards to journalism went out the door when Walter Cronkite passed away.

[james&olya 1,121]

The media wants a good old fashion race war . You need to protect obama at all cost and he cannot run on his record.

Since I am sure you know that 'the media' is actually a very disparate assortment of many different entities I would like to ask you just which of those entities specifically wants a race war! Or are you just parroting some of the mindless blather that spews from Rush and Glenn's mouths?!

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Since I am sure you know that 'the media' is actually a very disparate assortment of many different entities I would like to ask you just which of those entities specifically wants a race war! Or are you just parroting some of the mindless blather that spews from Rush and Glenn's mouths?!

I'm going to guess you haven't really been following this story much. The left leaning media had this guy tried and hung well before they had the facts...which they still don't. They even distorted facts and were all over it when those racist J. Jackson, A. Sharpton, S. Lee and the rest of the tards made a big thing about it seeing that's how Jackson and Sharpton make their living. If there's no problems between white and black then both of those racist are out of a job. The media stirred the pot in order to make headlines. The media...both left and right have pretty much been going to sh*t for years now and it just keeps getting worse. It's all about ratings these days.

[james&olya 1,121]

I'm going to guess you haven't really been following this story much. The left leaning media had this guy tried and hung well before they had the facts...which they still don't. They even distorted facts and were all over it when those racist J. Jackson, A. Sharpton, S. Lee and the rest of the tards made a big thing about it seeing that's how Jackson and Sharpton make their living. If there's no problems between white and black then both of those racist are out of a job. The media stirred the pot in order to make headlines. The media...both left and right have pretty much been going to sh*t for years now and it just keeps getting worse. It's all about ratings these days.

I have been following it some but I do avoid a lot of the TV 'news'! I agree with the rest of what you say but still don't agree with the poster's statements about the 'media' wanting a race war. The only times I have heard the terms 'race war', especially in association with the rest of what the poster put on his post it has come from the mouths of Beck and Limbaugh! Maybe THEY want a race war but I don't know anyone else who does. Do you?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The media wants a good old fashion race war.

The "media" is a consumer product which needs headlines, sensations and anything else that sells. The "media" is just another slice of corporate America looking to make a buck. Whatever helps that goal is done, whatever doesn't dies. It's really funny how the same people that defend corporate America don't miss a beat bashing the "media" which is, with very few exceptions, corporate America. People have tuned out on journalism and facts in favor of headlines and sensationalism a long, long time ago. Everyone seems to complain about what the media has become and yet everyone is driving what it has become by consuming all that garbage.

[X Factor 1,112]

The "media" is a consumer product which needs headlines, sensations and anything else that sells.

Yes sensationalism - if it bleeds it leads.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Yes sensationalism - if it bleeds it leads.

And nobody but the American public is to blame.

[X Factor 1,112]

And nobody but the American public is to blame.

True that

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

And nobody but the American public is to blame.

News these days seems to become more and more like another reality TV show. It's sickening. I try to stick to Reuters as much as possible but even they are starting to get bad.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Tampering with media they way they have can only be because of a political agenda. This is why we cannot make judgements until it goes through the judicial process. NBCs editing of the 911 call was particularly egregious. Clearly an intent to "race-bait" There is NO explanation other than an intentional desire to mislead for political purpose.

I am a bit surprised in this day and age that they would do such a thing as there are just too many alternative media sources and they cannot possibly expect it not to be discovered. However we will see here that liberals will defend them so, why not?

Edited April 2, 2012 by Gary and Alla

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I have been following it some but I do avoid a lot of the TV 'news'! I agree with the rest of what you say but still don't agree with the poster's statements about the 'media' wanting a race war. The only times I have heard the terms 'race war', especially in association with the rest of what the poster put on his post it has come from the mouths of Beck and Limbaugh! Maybe THEY want a race war but I don't know anyone else who does. Do you?

No. They do not want a race war.

They want Obama re-elected and want to connect this man to some sort of Republican right wing wierdo movement. They want to restrict your right to bear arms and have been losing that battle badly. Guns are already a "third rail" topic and lots of them hate it and want to give anti-rights politicians something to hang onto. A launching pad.

Right here in these forums, Democrats have already decided Zimmerman is guilty based on biased info in the media thay have seen. Dems have said that only "gun nuts and racists" disagree with Zimmerman being guilty. While non-gun-nuts and non-racists post bounties for other citizens and force people from their homes with their misinformation. And while Obama says his son "would look like Trayvon" he says nothing about bounties posted for US citizens or forcing elderly people out of their home.

Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton want donations. There are all sorts of agendas USING this incident for their political gain. Some have bought into their position so deeply that they will be truly embarrassed if it goes the other way (not Al Sharpton though, can you say "Tawana Brawly")

In the past few weeks there have been several other incidents similar in many ways, a black man killed by police, a man in Wisconsin killed an innocent man that mistakenly entered his house...all pass by the wayside because the news has not distorted the facts, the news has not published old, cute photos of the "victim". They have seized on Martin, he is their poster boy for their agenda. Everyone else can go to hell, they have the guy they need and they really don't care about anything else.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

No. They do not want a race war.

They want Obama re-elected and want to connect this man to some sort of Republican right wing wierdo movement. They want to restrict your right to bear arms and have been losing that battle badly. Guns are already a "third rail" topic and lots of them hate it and want to give anti-rights politicians something to hang onto. A launching pad.

Right here in these forums, Democrats have already decided Zimmerman is guilty based on biased info in the media thay have seen. Dems have said that only "gun nuts and racists" disagree with Zimmerman being guilty. While non-gun-nuts and non-racists post bounties for other citizens and force people from their homes with their misinformation. And while Obama says his son "would look like Trayvon" he says nothing about bounties posted for US citizens or forcing elderly people out of their home.

Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton want donations. There are all sorts of agendas USING this incident for their political gain. Some have bought into their position so deeply that they will be truly embarrassed if it goes the other way (not Al Sharpton though, can you say "Tawana Brawly")

In the past few weeks there have been several other incidents similar in many ways, a black man killed by police, a man in Wisconsin killed an innocent man that mistakenly entered his house...all pass by the wayside because the news has not distorted the facts, the news has not published old, cute photos of the "victim". They have seized on Martin, he is their poster boy for their agenda. Everyone else can go to hell, they have the guy they need and they really don't care about anything else.

The "Tawana Brawley" fiasco was the first time I saw ol Rev. Al before. He was all over the news flashing his gold teeth and gold and diamond rings along with a Rolex watch. He looked like a pimp without the hat. I never thought he would be in the press again after the truth came out on that one and here he is with the same ol agenda. Of course when I saw Marion Barry got an overwhelming vote in DC AFTER he got released from prison for buying and smoking crack nothing surprises me these days. It's like the dumb leading the dumber.

[DaveE 178]

CNN article And now the former prosecutor breaks his silence and says BS. From CNN:

An "outraged" Florida prosecutor fired back on Monday at the family of Trayvon Martin, describing as "outright lies" their account that he and a local police chief met and decided not to follow a detective's advice and arrest the teenager's killer.

In the letter delivered Monday, the Martin family said that a Sanford police detective "filed an affidavit stating that he did not find Zimmerman's statements credible in light of the circumstances and facts surrounding the shooting."

The family said Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee and State Attorney Norm Wolfinger met the night of the shooting and disregarded the detective's advice, letting Zimmerman go.

Neither Sanford police nor prosecutors have confirmed the existence of such an affidavit, which ABC News first reported. Sanford officials and special prosecutor Angela Corey's office declined comment.

But Wolfinger, who stepped aside in the case last month, vehemently denies that any "such meeting or communication occurred" between him and Lee.

Concerning the voice analysis:

David Faigman, a professor of law at the University of California-Hastings and an expert on the admissibility of scientific evidence, said courts and the overall scientific community have mixed opinions about the reliability of such "voiceprint" analysis. Further down the article - Still, he said, it wouldn't be too hard for Zimmerman's attorneys to find an audio expert to offer an opposing opinion.

"These expert witnesses come out of the woodwork when money is concerned," he said.