PatColo
9th December 2012, 11:22 PM
story's dated 12/7- has the US branch of the global ZSM been silent on this? A few months ago this story was wall to wall, ???
George Zimmerman sues NBC over 'racist myth' (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9728796/George-Zimmerman-sues-NBC-over-racist-myth.html)
George Zimmerman is suing NBC, claiming the network intentionally edited and repeatedly aired a non-emergency phone call he made to police before shooting and killing unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin "to create the myth" that he was a racist.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02192/trayvon-zimmerman_2192343b.jpg
Zimmerman maintains he shot Martin in self-defence Photo: REUTERS/Gary W. Green
2:18AM GMT 07 Dec 2012
Lawyers for Mr Zimmerman, who maintains he shot Martin in self-defence in February during a struggle, said the lawsuit seeking an undisclosed amount in damages was filed in the same central Florida court where he will stand trial in June for murder.
"NBC saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings, so it set about to create the myth that George Zimmerman was a racist and predatory villain," the defamation lawsuit says.
"NBC created this false and defamatory misimpression using the oldest form of yellow journalism: manipulating Zimmerman's owns words, splicing together disparate parts of the (police) recording to create the illusion of statements that Zimmerman never actually made."
NBC has denied any wrongdoing.
"We strongly disagree with accusations made in the complaint. There was no intent to portray Mr Zimmerman unfairly. We intend to vigorously defend our position in court," the statement said.
Related Articles
Prosecutors accidentally release pictures of Trayvon Martin's body (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9465879/Prosecutors-accidentally-release-pictures-of-Trayvon-Martins-body.html)
09 Aug 2012
What if Zimmerman were black? (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/the-daily-beast/9413756/Trayvon-Martin-killing-what-if-George-Zimmerman-were-black.html)
19 Jul 2012
George Zimmerman: 'I did not pursue Trayvon Martin the night he was shot' (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9410703/George-Zimmerman-I-did-not-pursue-Trayvon-Martin-the-night-he-was-shot.html)
19 Jul 2012
Zimmerman released on $1 million bail (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9382892/Trayvon-Martin-George-Zimmerman-released-on-1-million-bail.html)
06 Jul 2012
The edit in question, which aired on the network's flagship "Today" morning show in April, made it appear that Mr Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch volunteer, told police that Martin was black without being asked.
In fact, the full tape reveals that Mr Zimmerman only did so when responding to a question posed by a dispatcher.
Former NBC News president Steve Capus, who stepped down this month, told Reuters in April that the edit was a "mistake, not deliberate" misrepresentation.
The network apologised to its viewers in a statement, and two NBC news staffers named as defendants in the lawsuit were fired.
But the complaint says the network never apologised to Mr Zimmerman "for deliberately portraying him as a hostile racist who targeted Martin due to his race."
Source: Reuters
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9728796/George-Zimmerman-sues-NBC-over-racist-myth.html
George Zimmerman sues NBC over 'racist myth' (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9728796/George-Zimmerman-sues-NBC-over-racist-myth.html)
George Zimmerman is suing NBC, claiming the network intentionally edited and repeatedly aired a non-emergency phone call he made to police before shooting and killing unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin "to create the myth" that he was a racist.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02192/trayvon-zimmerman_2192343b.jpg
Zimmerman maintains he shot Martin in self-defence Photo: REUTERS/Gary W. Green
2:18AM GMT 07 Dec 2012
Lawyers for Mr Zimmerman, who maintains he shot Martin in self-defence in February during a struggle, said the lawsuit seeking an undisclosed amount in damages was filed in the same central Florida court where he will stand trial in June for murder.
"NBC saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings, so it set about to create the myth that George Zimmerman was a racist and predatory villain," the defamation lawsuit says.
"NBC created this false and defamatory misimpression using the oldest form of yellow journalism: manipulating Zimmerman's owns words, splicing together disparate parts of the (police) recording to create the illusion of statements that Zimmerman never actually made."
NBC has denied any wrongdoing.
"We strongly disagree with accusations made in the complaint. There was no intent to portray Mr Zimmerman unfairly. We intend to vigorously defend our position in court," the statement said.
Related Articles
Prosecutors accidentally release pictures of Trayvon Martin's body (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9465879/Prosecutors-accidentally-release-pictures-of-Trayvon-Martins-body.html)
09 Aug 2012
What if Zimmerman were black? (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/the-daily-beast/9413756/Trayvon-Martin-killing-what-if-George-Zimmerman-were-black.html)
19 Jul 2012
George Zimmerman: 'I did not pursue Trayvon Martin the night he was shot' (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9410703/George-Zimmerman-I-did-not-pursue-Trayvon-Martin-the-night-he-was-shot.html)
19 Jul 2012
Zimmerman released on $1 million bail (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9382892/Trayvon-Martin-George-Zimmerman-released-on-1-million-bail.html)
06 Jul 2012
The edit in question, which aired on the network's flagship "Today" morning show in April, made it appear that Mr Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch volunteer, told police that Martin was black without being asked.
In fact, the full tape reveals that Mr Zimmerman only did so when responding to a question posed by a dispatcher.
Former NBC News president Steve Capus, who stepped down this month, told Reuters in April that the edit was a "mistake, not deliberate" misrepresentation.
The network apologised to its viewers in a statement, and two NBC news staffers named as defendants in the lawsuit were fired.
But the complaint says the network never apologised to Mr Zimmerman "for deliberately portraying him as a hostile racist who targeted Martin due to his race."
Source: Reuters
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9728796/George-Zimmerman-sues-NBC-over-racist-myth.html