MRC Calls on Congress to Investigate Comcast / NBC for Journalistic Fraud in Trayvon Martin Reporting
Alexandria, VA – Today, Media Research Center President Brent Bozell
announces the media watchdog is calling upon Congress to investigate
Comcast / NBC News for the intentional editing of the George Zimmerman
audio that was broadcast multiple times and subsequently flamed the
fires of racial hatred and animosity:
“NBC is laughing at the
public. Last week we said we would have more to say if their behavior in
this matter didn’t change. Given their continued irresponsibility,
today we open up a new front. “
To review:
1. From March 19th
to March 27th, NBC used their doctored versions of the Trayvon Martin
audio clip to give the impression that Zimmerman was a racist. The
fraudulently doctored audio clip was used at least five times by the
Today Show and NBC Nightly News. We called on NBC to a) apologize to
the public, b) disclose who was responsible, c) explain what
disciplinary action they were taking, and d) explain why the public
should ever trust NBC again.
2. On March 31st, NBC announced they
would investigate themselves. This is like Nixon investigating
Watergate. So we called on Comcast to investigate NBC. To date, more
than 100,000 emails, phone calls, and letters from Media Research Center
members have been made/sent to Comcast’s board of directors demanding
such an investigation.
3. On April 3rd, NBC’s public relations
department issued a ridiculous, two-sentence non-apology ‘apology.’ No
names were provided. No disciplinary action was taken. The ridiculous
statement blamed ‘an error made in the production process that we deeply
regret.’ Reuters reported an anonymous NBC source called it ‘a very
bad mistake, but not deliberate.’ And still no apology to NBC’s
viewers. MRC rejected NBC’s non-apology out of hand.
4. Last
Friday, NBC informed a reporter for Reuters that a senior producer had
been fired. The excuse given this time was that it was a simple editing
decision to save time, which is not only unbelievable, but also proves
it was deliberate and contrary to their previous position. And still no
apology to its viewers.
“So where does that leave us? This
is a complete violation of the public trust. Comcast is in the midst of
a business deal with Verizon requiring approval by the Federal
Communications Commission and the United States Department of Justice;
the public policy issues related to the approval of this
deal are so
critical that the United States Senate held hearings on the matter.
“Some organizations and elected officials have raised anti-trust concerns. We are now joining them.
“Today
we are contacting appropriate committees in Congress asking them to
investigate Comcast / NBC’s public deception in view of the proposed
Comcast / Verizon business deal; and Comcast’s duty to the public trust
given one of their premier properties – NBC – has advanced this
deception and arrogantly refuses to apologize to its own broadcast
viewers."
LETTER to the Senate Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Subcommittee on Comcast NBC investigation
LETTER to The House Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet on Comcast NBC investigation
To schedule an interview with MRC President Brent Bozell or another MRC
spokesperson, please contact Colleen Sullivan -
csullivan@crcpublicrelations.com or Hayley McConnell -
hmcconnell@crcpublicrelations.com or call (703) 683-5004.
