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MSNBC Caught Selectively Editing Another Clip — This Time of Sandy Hook Victim’s Father

Jan. 29, 2013 4:38pm Jason Howerton

Editor’s note — We’ll be discussing this story and all the day’s news during our live BlazeCast from 1pm-2pm ET…including your questions, comments & live chat:

MSNBC Caught Selectively Editing Another Clip This Time of Sandy Hook Victims Father

MSNBC’s Martin Bashir (Credit: Getty Images)

No stranger to selectively edited video clips, MSNBC on Monday aired a misleading and incomplete clip of testimony given by the father of a Sandy Hook victim at a hearing before the Connecticut Legislature. The edited version of his remarks, aired on Martin Bashir’s show, make it appear as if pro-gun advocates maliciously interrupted (or “heckled” as many have said) the dad for no reason as he calmly argued against civilians owning semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines. In fact, the edit was so subtle not even we picked up on it in our original story.

“It’s not a good feeling to look at your child laying in a casket. Or looking at your child with a bullet wound to the forehead. It’s a real sad day,” Neil Heslin, father of Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis, said during Monday’s hearing.

“I ask if there is anyone who is in this room that can give me one reason or challenge this question: Why anybody in this room needs to have done of these assault-style weapons or military weapons or high capacity clips?” he asked rhetorically. He paused and then said, “Not one person can answer the question.”

It was at this point that a few members of the audience voiced their support for the Second Amendment. “The Second Amendment shall not be infringed,” one man yelled, appearing to try and answer Heslin’s question.

As the presiding official pointed out, comments were not permitted during the testimony, however. And Bashir was quick to hop on that point.

Here is how he presented it in his selectively edited clip on Monday:

But on Tuesday afternoon, more complete footage of Heslin’s remarks began circulating. In those remarks, it appears the “hecklers” were responding to his rhetorical question.

Watch the unedited footage below, courtesy of the ever-vigilant team over at Twitchy (the clip will start at the relevant point):

As you can see, MSNBC decided to completely remove the portion of the video where Heslin asks his rhetorical question. Does that mean no one would have spoke up had Heslin not posed the question? That’s impossible to say. But what is clear is that by removing the full remarks, MSNBC cheated its audience of making up its mind about what the video shows. And although a relatively small edit, the absence of the question changes the context drastically.

MSNBC has been caught selectively editing video in the past, too. In June, host Andrea Mitchell aired a doctored clip of Mitt Romney talking about WaWa convenience stores to make him look “out of touch.” In reality, he was explaining the difference between innovation in the private and public sectors.

Then of course in March, NBC was busted selectively editing the George Zimmerman police tapes to make it appear as if he voluntarily proclaimed Trayvon Martin “looks black” when he was actually asked by a police dispatcher.

Finally, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough in September aired edited video of a Romney rally in which he argued supporters were chanting “Ryan! Ryan!” as Romney spoke, insinuating that he was being overshadowed by his running mate Paul Ryan. Romney then attempted to get the crowd to chant “Romney-Ryan! Romney-Ryan!” — Scarborough mocked Romney incessantly for his “failed” chant.

However, upon closer review of the tape, it became evident that the crowd was actually chanting “Romney! Romney!” and the former GOP presidential candidate was attempting to get the crowd to include Ryan. A Blaze reader who was present at the event also confirmed that to be the case.

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UPDATE 9:10 p.m. ET: CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Slate and even (kind of) Piers Morgan have conceded that Heslin was not really “heckled” during the hearing. Our friends at Twitchy have the details.

MSNBC, on the other hand, had yet to issue a correction as of Tuesday night. The network did later post the full video of Heslin’s testimony but did not clarify as to why it allowed such a deceptively edited clip to air on Bashir’s show.

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UPDATE II: MSNBC is now reportedly “reviewing” the “heckling” tape aired on the network Monday, The Washington Post reports.

“We’re reviewing the video in question,” an MSNBC source said.

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Comments (244)

Rowgue
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:26pm
Trying to say it was out of line because comments were not permitted is asinine. The guy speaking intentionally pretended to be asking a question to which he wanted an answer. He knew comments weren’t allowed so nobody would answer it. Which they didn’t. But then he got cocky with his little theatre show. He confindently proclaimed how nobody was able to answer the question. So people did.

If you don’t actually want a question answered then don’t ask a question. End of story.

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Stelex
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:26pm
I don’t know what it takes to get you to understand, the media is the voice. Unless we get on there case in a big way…….nothing changes. These elite idiots believe they are better than you, they believe you need to be lead. I’m not suggesting physical threats but we must get more vocal than the left. A small percentage of the population is playing us all for fools.

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tootsie roll
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:26pm
@Enicon
get the unedited tape the father said is there anyone in this audience who do NOT agree with Me. I defy you to answer the question. When they did it was branded as heckling him.Twiitchy.com ha s the video, Glen beck played the unedited version. I employ you to learn how to search for the truth NOT the Liberal version as THE TRUTH

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pakaeboiboi
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:24pm
answer: SLAVES don’t own GUNS …..

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oxycontinxx
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:20pm
“Why anybody in this room needs to have done of these assault-style weapons or military weapons or high capacity clips?” he asked rhetorically.”

Why? i ll tell you why.

so the citizens of this country have the means to protect themselves against tyrannical government.

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dodgedart1966
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:17pm
Murder with a gun is a result of a deranged mind, not the cause.

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dodgedart1966
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:15pm
I do not patronize liberal news channels or websites. This includes the networks. Every time you click on a site or channel is another penny of ad money in their pocket. I hope more people follow in that mentality.
Anything you want to hear from them you can hear somewhere else.
Eventually they will lose enough money that they will have to report straight.
Like the news should be.

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thegreatcarnac
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:14pm
What is the deal with MSNBC and their limey broadcasters? I really don’t watch the channel but now and then I see Bashir and Morgan while turning channels or on a news clip. I cannot stand either one of the bast*rds. MSNBC is a communist propaganda outlet but it has swung so left it is now a Stalinist
mouthpiece. The introduction of British leftist like Bashir has caused the Stalinist shift. Does MSNBC believe that two Brit accents make the communist party line sound more pleasing? Does MSNBC believe that Brits sound smarter or are they smarter ? Bashir and Morgan left England to go to teach we poor colonists how to live the leftist life of being a subject and not a citizen. THey hate our weaponized citizens and want us to disarm like England and Australia. The Brits can go to he11 and so can MSNBC.

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AmericaMustBeFree
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:10pm
Guns don’t kill.. crazy people with guns kill.. I feel this father’s pain.. all those who have lost children at the hands of wicked crazy men.. instead of blaming guns.. I suggest you blame those who put out violent movies.. games and music.. these are the things that feed the nuts who kill.. Why can’t people figure that out?? God help those who suffer.. but please don’t blame the gun.. blame the person behind the gun! Someday someone with a gun may save your life.. and that what we need to hear more of, everyday!

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Larry E
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:03pm
Wee Martie Basher is a sissy foreign punk who needs sent back where he came from ASAP. This country has plenty of home grown fools without the need to import any, but when a business is doing as poorly as PMSNBC is I guess they’ll try anything to get ratings.

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thegreatcarnac
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:02pm
MSNBC is proof that when the communist lost power in Russia their newspaper propaganda machine escaped to the US and landed at NBC. MSNBC is Izvestia, Taas, and Pravda all roled up in one. They are propagandist for the left and the NWO and they are absolute liars. I suggest we watch few segments and see who their advertisers are. I think we need a grass-roots effort to pick just one or two of their top advertisers and boycott their companies until they leave MSNBC. Then pick out another and another until they evenutally all feel the pressure.

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- The Big Mick
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:17pm
  Russian Soviet Contemporary Proverb, GC. Hard to render without the Cyrillic Alphabet but:
  
  ne Pravda v’ Izvestia e ne Izvestia v’ Pravda. (No Truth in the News, no News in the Truth.)
  
  Report this comment
- checkingbothsides
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 4:39pm
  Isn’t boycotts what you guys get upset at liberals for doing? Why do you hate the free market?
  
  Report this comment
LMW
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:49pm
I feel so sad for the father but why pick on (assult rifles?) as that was in the car and never used? Why do we need weapons? The answer as like now our government forgets who it works for. It works for us and not that we belong to it. I’m sorry to say but it looks like we may have to use (those) weapons soon to remind the government that we are the boss and they are expendible and not needed in its present form.

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- The Big Mick
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:11pm
  Think it thru, LMW. It ain’t “The Government” so much as OUR FELLOW DUMBCIT Collectivist Redistributionists who are ELECTING and ENABLING “The Government” of Ruling Class Aristo Statists to Rape your God Endowed Unalienable Individual Rights. You can form a Giant “Red Dawn” “Hun Circle” just outside the Beltloop and Slay Every Living Creature inside with Fire and Sword and you STILL will be Enslaved come next Elections by your Fellow Dumbcit Redistributionists.
  It is THEM that are going to HAVE to quit breathing, and a “disproportionate” number of them will be GanstaHoodin Homies, La Raza Reconquistas, Sandyknickerd RagaMuzied JihadiNazis.
  You can either make up your mind to DO that, or kiss your Sacred Liberties goodbye;.
  
  Report this comment
whatsallthisthen
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:44pm
What used to be main stream media (now obama lap dogs) always slanted and tried to make the left appear more attractive. Now they have no shame and don’t even try to act objective. I realize this article is about mslsd but even that moronic outfit has been around longer than Fox. Thanks to Glen and of course the crazy white ******* that made conservatism cool and saved AM radio and many others, we no longer have the left wing version of news as the only source.

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ENIGMA28724
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:39pm
You obviously did not listen to the unedited version of the video. I’d further point out virtually all mass shootings have occurred in “gun free zones” where the shooter could be reasonably sure he would face no armed resistance to his heinous actions. Since the gun free zones [aka unarmed victim zones] legislation was enacted, mass homicides have gone up 370%. Don’t you think there might be even the slightest relationship there? The resistance of some to armed guards in schools makes me think they would rather have a child killed by a mass murderer than to have the presence of a firearm held by a legitimate user in the school or other areas.

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Daddy Hawg
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:39pm
To be fair, why doesn’t BaShit and MSNBC show the testimony of another father that lost a child that day and is calling to enforce the gun laws we already have and not introduce more useless bureaucratic red tape?

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Papa Joe
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:37pm
MSNBC is a RATS NEST, like all rats they will be exterminated, not by anyone, but they will exterminate themselves!!

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mygunsweetness
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:35pm
First I want to say that tears ran down my face Dec.14,2012.None of us can tell this father why a lunatic or lunatics grab some kind of weapon and turn them on children or adults.What I can tell him and the gun grabbers is, our Constitution and Bill Of Rights are the laws that have made America the greatest nation that has ever been.These laws guarantee us the rights and freedoms that our lord God almighty wants every human to have.That makes these laws bigger than adults or our children,without these laws the so- called elite here and around the world would let greed and power corrupt their morals and honor to do whats right.We have these laws now, but,they are under attack from all sides everyday from our govt.and govt.’s from around the world.We need our AK’s,AR15′s and other semi-automatics to protect the people from the evil-doers that try to strip us of our Constitutional liberty’s and our God given rights.That’s the best I can explain it to him or the family’s of these mass shooting.

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Shav001
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:34pm
He was clearly looking around expecting a response…it was not rhetorical. MS”LSD” got caught again lol.

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winin2012
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:31pm
Anybody surprised by this sleaze bag or MSNBC doing this kind of crap?

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RJJinGadsden
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:24pm
ENCINOM, I love my son more than just about anything. I am willing to use one of my guns if necessary and will put my life in danger if necessary to protect him from any criminal adversary. That is if my adult son who also has a CCL doesn’t plug him first. Oh yeah, remember I am well trained with my background, and I have made certain that son has been well trained since he was a child. Neither of us are as you say nuts, and are both responsible gun owners who know and respect what a gun can do in irresponsible hands. Because of what I have seen in my LE career, I will never be unarmed.

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:07pm
  Damn, while my son was visiting, ENCINOM’s post got deleted. I didn’t think it was bad at all, but no big deal.
  
  Report this comment
AnAmerican111
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:23pm
OBAMA, Bashir, MSNBC…All just part of the LIBERAL LIARS club…………….
They can’t help themselves! That’s what Liberals do!

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Chuck T
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:21pm
Why is it when I tried to post this article to Facebook, that the photo was instead an ad? I won’t bother to post it like that; it doesn’t just give a false impression of the story, it’s downright tacky. Commercialism is getting WAY out of hand on the net, including those annoying zedo popups on TheBlaze.

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DougHuffman
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:19pm
The Procrustean Bed is essential to the narrative fallacy. It is not possible to narrate the entire truth. “In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was GOOD.” Just starts the quibbles.

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Budrow
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:14pm
Brashir is no stranger to sensationalizing journalism. (IF he is in fact considered a “journalist”.) He has been the topic of conversation here several times in the past. The guy is a trash-bag and doesn’t deserve the notoriety he is being given by The Blaze. Modifying video clips to boost one’s personal beliefs isn’t foreign to him. Besides…it’s MSNBC. what else would you expect from them?

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UNALIEN
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:13pm
@ ENCINOM

define gun nuts…

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