Crime

Mediaite: Pro-Zimmerman Evidence Makes MSNBC Ignore Trayvon Martin Story…Even Though They Pushed It

As cable TV networks go, MSNBC is one of the more frequently accused of bias. Granted, they don’t have an entire comedy show out for their blood the same way that Fox News does, but they still attract criticism. To their credit, their executives admit that some of that criticism is even true.

But unfortunately, if a report from the media monitoring site Mediaite published today is accurate, that supposed self-awareness may function simply as a way to hide MSNBC’s more problematic news practices in plain sight.

Exhibit A in this regard is MSNBC’s coverage of the Trayvon Martin case. Despite pushing the story very forcefully during the first two months that it became news (with Al Sharpton interviewing the grieving parents of the slain teen and Lawrence O’Donnell shouting insults and questions at an empty chair), now that new evidence is breaking that may lead to an acquittal of shooter George Zimmerman, MSNBC is behaving as though the story doesn’t exist. In fact, not a single one of its primetime anchors has covered the story at all since the release of the pro-Zimmerman evidence. Not Ed Schultz, not Lawrence O’Donnell, not even Al Sharpton.

Mediaite explains:

In March and April, MSNBC’s primetime hosts ran with nearly wall-to-wall coverage of the killing of Florida teen Trayvon Martin. They regularly suggested that the lack of national interest in the case was worthy of outrage. Last week, when an avalanche of new evidence favorable to George Zimmerman came to light, MSNBC’s primetime lineup didn’t just bury the story, they didn’t mention Martin or Zimmerman once the week that news broke according to media monitoring service TV Eyes. [...]

On May 17, Prosecutor Angela Cory’s office released hundreds of pages of information that further shed light on the murky events that led to the killing of Martin. Also released on that day was footage from the 7-Eleven where Martin was last caught on tape just minutes before his altercation with Zimmerman. New photos of Zimmerman’s wounds were also released on the 17th.

The new documents included an assessment that charges were actively considered from the beginning. “44th page of the documents released is that Christopher Serino, the lead investigator at the scene concluded that there was “probable cause” to charge Zimmerman with manslaughter,” writes Mediaite’s Jon Bershad. “ It isn’t immediately clear why this didn’t happen.”[...]

Even 6 p.m. anchor Rev. Al Sharpton who had seemed to make his show a platform for Zimmerman outrage, made no mention of Martin last week, after months of daily reporting.[...]

To be fair, MSNBC dayside did cover the story as news according to TV Eyes but considering how often and passionately their primetime hosts focused on this story, it seems either purely ideological or beyond negligent for not a single show to have mentioned this big news.

This is an important point, not least of all because MSNBC made a point of savaging this variety of “look the other way” journalism. Consider this clip from Al Sharpton back on March 21st:

Now there’s news that runs against the very narrative that hosts like Sharpton pushed, and the reaction? Crickets.

Comments (44)

1 2
  • GoodStuff
    Posted on May 24, 2012 at 12:09am

    Lean Forward…off a cliff.

    Report Post »  
  • Soul Leister
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 11:17pm

    twanay brawley… duke lacrosse team… trayvon martin…

    AL SHARPTON, “O” for three… loser for hire… a grossly overpaid race baiting ambulance chaser… hosts a show on msnbs… one of many talking heads there that clearly don’t know jack about anything… all have flawed uninformed opinions with zero substance… they need to stop talking to themselves for reassurance and get a clue.

    Report Post » Soul Leister  
  • Reason365
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 11:12pm

    Way to go Al ( Johnny on the spot ) Sharpguy. Can you say
    Tawana. And liberals are the smart ones. No thanks, I’ll stay conservative.
    ENOUGH!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • TRUTHSENSE
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:43pm

    Rev. Al also got quiet after the young black girl (I don’t remember what city) who at first claimed she was raped by several white guys admitted she made the whole thing up and also buttoned up after members of the Duke lacrosse team were exonerated. Now this flap. What’s next, AL?

    Report Post » TRUTHSENSE  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on May 24, 2012 at 1:55am

      Isn’t that where Bill Cosby cried “racists?” That’s when I lost all respect for him.

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
  • OhSnappage
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:42pm

    There needs to be disclaimer before each hour on this croc of a network stating:
    “MSNBC is not an actual news network. All statements made are opinions and not based on any evidence of facts. The actors used on our programs are not professionals nor should they be viewed as such. Programs are solely entertainment based on current events found in actual news events. MSNBC does not condone or support actions by viewers that confuse reality from entertainment.”

    Otherwise take “news” out of your agencies name. It is false marketing and misleading. Like they piss in a jug and sell it off as lemonade on a neighborhood street.

    Report Post » OhSnappage  
    • johnjamison
      Posted on May 24, 2012 at 3:42pm

      Exactly,MSNBC needs to run a disclaimer under the bottom of all their propaganda shows.

      Report Post »  
  • blackyb
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:33pm

    It would not suprprise me to see lawsuits filed against those media where tried through photoshopping and using doctored tapes to incite the public against Zimmerman. It would seem their retracting or correcting themselves would make them admit to liability at the very least. That and the fact they do not want to ‘man’ up to their lies and distortions.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • 1791RTBA
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 9:43pm

    Join the United States Concealed Carry Association and get $300K worth of insurance if you have to defend yourself for $299.00./ year. Discount for spouse.

    Report Post »  
  • Crow hunter
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 9:08pm

    If Zimmerman is acquitted and riots do take place, I wonder about the possibility of a class action lawsuit filed by all of the businesses that suffer financial losses as a direct result against Sharpton and anyone else who were responsible for the rallies and threw fuel on the fire before any of the evidence was available. More and more, this is looking like Tawana Brawley2

    Report Post »  
    • 1791RTBA
      Posted on May 23, 2012 at 9:50pm

      Sharpton has been able to escape tax evasion, race baiting, and unfounded accusations that ruin people’s lives for far too long. Someone needs to shut him down financially since the IRS only harasses law abiding citizens like the tea party.

      Report Post »  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on May 24, 2012 at 1:57am

      WHEN Zimmerman is acquitted, this country will blow up and Obama will declare martial law.

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
  • ContinentalArmy
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 8:52pm

    MSNBC, yeah a real joke on journalism and as for Sharpton, he‘s no journalist he’s a bigger joke than MSNBC!! No wonder this losing Media trash hired Sharpton! Neither one worth 2 cents and that’s combined!! Hang Zimmerman for months then when evidence is presented in Zimmerman’s favor nothing but Silence! What happened MSNBC? No story to doctor up here? Sorry ass Media Group!! Fire Sharpton and close your damn doors for good!!

    Report Post »  
  • bigbro
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 8:48pm

    Comcast mgmt has to be the dumbest people on earth. Look at their ratings, that should tell you something.

    Report Post »  
  • I.Gaspar
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:55pm

    Where IS al “load in his pants” sharpton on the new evidence? Maybe he’s off with tawana brawley looking for more white people to attack falsely….you can’t expect a good race baiter to back down simply because the last case crapped out.
    Or maybe he, the new black panthers, and eric holder are in a conference room stragametizing their next moves against innocent people. Resist they much.

    Report Post »  
  • muhamed
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:52pm

    joe scarborough is a sad and pathetic man. he must feel mighty small in the way he’e sold out conservatives. he‘s nothing more than a nyt’s david brooks house conservative. being as intellectually dishonest as he is, is almost worse than the frauds and liars of sharpton, ford, and that idiotic blonde on the show. joe s., grow a pair!

    Report Post » muhamed  
  • NewBee
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:34pm

    WOW goog thing it was not up to there guys the outcome of this , the media is criminal!

    Report Post »  
  • KeystoneState
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:33pm

    And who here (trolls included), does this suprise?

    Report Post » KeystoneState  
  • TheEDGE
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:31pm

    Common now everybody. Lean forward. You don’t care about that old story.

    Report Post » TheEDGE  
  • copatriots
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:30pm

    It’s a sad, sad day when the media possibly costs a man his life and acts as the judge, jury and almost his de facto executioner……all to advance a political agenda.

    Report Post »  
  • Banter
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:29pm

    Yea, but wait until Zimmerman is released due to lack of evidence. I suspect Al will call Shabazz and tell him the mission is a go. Cue violence in Orlando in 3,2,….

    Report Post » Banter  
  • freedomisasfreedomdoes
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:26pm

    perhaps MSNBC should get out of the media business. Their incompetence is alarming. They cannot tell the news as it is. Perhaps they should get into the soap opera writing business. There is so much drama there—they can make up stories.

    Report Post » freedomisasfreedomdoes  
  • Laken
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:25pm

    In THIS Country You Are Innocent Until PROVEN Guilty…Al…Ed And Larry….

    Report Post » Laken  
  • South Philly Boy
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:21pm

    BLAME… drive-by media, alsharpton, jjackson, nbpp and prosecutors

    Report Post » South Philly Boy  
  • nobull14
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:18pm

    We all know it phoney news net work working for the progressive machine ? and any one that would hire Al Sharpton as a news anchor A big light bulb should go on flashing a warning !!!!!!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:16pm

    These msm freaks are vile people indeed,the probable outcome of the case doesn’t fit the agenda of these vultures so they ignore the story,pathetic propagandist pigs the lot of them.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:14pm

    All MSDNC is talking about lately is Bain Capitol….. just like the WH told them to do.

    Report Post » The-Monk  
  • BrianPatronie
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:07pm

    Bernard Goetz is alive.
    George Zimmerman while battered is alive.
    There assailants will never threaten anyone ever again.

    Refuse to be a victim.
    It`s better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6…

    Report Post »  
  • Teabunny
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 7:06pm

    Unrelated…June 4th Glenn has big plans, huh? check out June 5th!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMFazGjeS_4&feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mgSCKXSp9M

    Report Post » Teabunny  
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