# NBC edit of the Zimmerman tape **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 19, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291 "2012-04-19T17:13:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/41 "2012-04-19T23:51:22Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I thought it was reported in the context of “he appears to say ‘coons,’” but certainly some people felt he definitely said it. [“Some people” indeed!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=646658) ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/42 "2012-04-20T14:42:40Z")
> [@Kiber](#): > > Let me try: > > Run an internal investigation, find something wrong, fire the person responsible, make the results public, and apologize? > > Well - speaking just for me, if Fox News did all that, I’d be very impressed. Any idea when the investigation began? As soon as someone internally realized the mistake… or did it take being prodded? How public are the results? Do we have the name of the person fired? ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/43 "2012-04-20T14:45:12Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The edit was discussed in some of the many threads about the shooting. [It was discussed at some length here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=646438) and [at least briefly here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=14941824#post14941824). If you want a debate, please take a position and debate it. Thanks for the info … I knew it had to have been mentioned among the thousands of posts and I was pretty sure there was no thread focusing on it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/44 "2012-04-20T14:46:51Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Any idea when the investigation began? As soon as someone internally realized the mistake… or did it take being prodded? I think those things happened at the same time. > [@](#): > > How public are the results? I wouldn’t expect them to publicize changes to their editing and review procedures. I’m not sure the public really cares about the details. > [@](#): > > Do we have the name of the person fired? I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/45 "2012-04-20T14:47:52Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Well, obviously you know about it, so the degree of ‘play’ must have been at least minimally adequate. I was expecting that one. Don’t worry about me, I’m more concerned about the housewives who watch Today who don’t know about it. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/46 "2012-04-20T14:49:57Z")
ABC are showing a photo which gives a [clear and close-up view](http://abcnews.go.com/US/george-zimmerman-case-exclusive-photo-shows-bloodied-back/story?id=16177849#.T5F1c9lrXyB) of the back of Zimmerman;s head. It was taken three minutes after the fracas and will be of immense value to his defense team. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/47 "2012-04-20T14:56:56Z")
> [@Kiber](#): > > OK - not sure what you’re getting at here. Certainly NBC made it public - here’s a link from their own [website](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46985578). I guess it’s true they didn’t release the producers name. Is there a gotcha I’m missing? This is what passes for public from their own website… “A person with direct knowledge of the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly said Saturday on the condition of anonymity that the producer was fired. The producer was not identified. An NBC spokeswoman declined to comment.” ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/48 "2012-04-20T15:13:12Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I always hate to guess at someone’s motives, especially when we know nothing about that someone at all, not even his name. > > So, back to the OP. Did this little “mistake” fan the flames of the fire? Probably. But the flames were already raging, so I don’t know whether it added that much and I don’t really think there is any way to know. > > Seems like the idea that Zim called Martin a “coon” (dubious, at best) was the more impactful error. I agree that the fans were already flamed. I wonder about the Today Show audience… how many are still influenced by that “mistake” ? And how many are fully informed about that little “mistake”? I’ll bet its a net win for those with the same world view as that unnamed producer. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/49 "2012-04-20T15:24:30Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ll bet its a net win for those with the same world view as that unnamed producer. What view is that? ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/50 "2012-04-20T15:28:05Z")
Zimmerman just got [bail.](http://southflorida.sun-sentinel.com/news/os-george-zimmerman-bond-hearing-20120420,0,4802623.story) NBC were never going to make public the full results of their inquiries but I’m satisfied that they took the appropriate action for an error, inadvertent or not, that was hugely prejudicial to Zimmerman. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/51 "2012-04-20T15:43:49Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Good point. I didn’t recall the time frame as well as I thought. That answers my question, and the answer is: “Very little.” I’d actually argue a better phrase would be “very little if any”. Not only was it weeks after the initial outrage, but the 911 calls had already been aired on a number of venues without tricky editing which is why it was caught so quickly. I suspect the people who had never heard the tapes until watching that NBC report are vastly, vastly outnumbered by the people aware of NBC badly editing the videos. The editing was not only extremely unethical and immoral, but also incredibly stupid since it was guaranteed to be caught. Personally, I was offended that NBC didn’t apologize to Zimmerman even though I think he belongs in jail. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/52 "2012-04-20T15:53:13Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I’d actually argue a better phrase would be “very little if any”. > > Not only was it weeks after the initial outrage, but the 911 calls had already been aired on a number of venues without tricky editing which is why it was caught so quickly. > > I suspect the people who had never heard the tapes until watching that NBC report are vastly, vastly outnumbered by the people aware of NBC badly editing the videos. > > The editing was not only extremely unethical and immoral, but also incredibly stupid since it was guaranteed to be caught. > > Personally, I was offended that NBC didn’t apologize to Zimmerman even though I think he belongs in jail. Except that the “Today” show has a very large audience, so I am reluctant to add “if any.” But “very little” seems like the right answer. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/53 "2012-04-21T14:18:30Z")
From [here:](http://www.aim.org/newswire/trayvon-martin-call-was-mistake-not-deliberate-nbc/) “As part of the investigation, the producer who edited the call was questioned extensively about motivation, and it was determined that the person had cut the video clip down to meet a maximum time requirement for the length of the segment – a common pressure in morning television – and inadvertently edited the call in a way that proved misleading.” If that is true then the producer should not have been fired. I realize my link isn’t going to impress: Does anybody have anything else from the fair and balanced side or the “public” investigation? ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/54 "2012-04-21T14:32:53Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > From [here:](http://www.aim.org/newswire/trayvon-martin-call-was-mistake-not-deliberate-nbc/) > “As part of the investigation, the producer who edited the call was questioned extensively about motivation, and it was determined that the person had cut the video clip down to meet a maximum time requirement for the length of the segment – a common pressure in morning television – and inadvertently edited the call in a way that proved misleading.” > > If that is true then the producer should not have been fired. Even if what the producer said is true, he should be fired for incompetence if he didn’t realize that his edit produced a dramatically different perception of the call. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/55 "2012-04-21T15:10:03Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Even if what the producer said is true, he should be fired for incompetence if he didn’t realize that his edit produced a dramatically different perception of the call. Agreed. OTOH what about the rest of them who heard it and didn’t realize the same thing immediately. That assumes the investigation did not begin immediately … I’m still searching for more details on the investigation. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/56 "2012-04-23T15:09:52Z")
Found this quote at the MRC site… “Contrary to the perception that many people have on this false audio that they created, this wasn’t a one-time error or lapse in judgment; this is something that they ran on the air five times, and then they also had it on their website,” the MRC spokesman notes." They could have run it five times the same day and it could have been on the website even before it made it on the air I suppose. I sure wish the defenders of NBC would come forth with some more info on this “public” investigation. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/57 "2012-04-23T15:13:42Z")
Why did all the networks keep showing pictures of Martin when he was 12 years old? Its kind of like those obituaries that show the guy the way he looked in 1950 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/58 "2012-04-23T15:16:09Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Why did all the networks keep showing pictures of Martin when he was 12 years old? Because that’s the picture his family provided. Other pictures have been made public since then, and it seems like the press has increasingly used the last photo- the one that shows Martin wearing a white hoodie. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/59 "2012-04-23T17:35:58Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Why did all the networks keep showing pictures of Martin when he was 12 years old? > Its kind of like those obituaries that show the guy the way he looked in 1950 or so. Because that’s the picture his family provided (and they liked it). Other pictures have been made public since then (by the evil right-wing media), and it seems like the press has increasingly (after they were criticised for using the cute one) used the last photo- the one that shows Martin wearing a white hoodie(because it’s an excellent symbol). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291/60 "2012-04-23T17:39:22Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > the one that shows Martin wearing a white hoodie(because it’s an excellent symbol). Or because he was wearing that hoodie when he was killed and it’s part of the debate. But whatever. It could be a made up symbol of I-don’t-know-what, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbc-edit-of-the-zimmerman-tape/619291.md?page=4)