NBC heavily edited a broadcast of a conversation between George Zimmerman, 28, and a police dispatcher before teenager Trayvon Martin was killed by Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain who said he acted in self-defense, in Sanford, Florida.
The “Today” show’s segment ran as:
“Zimmerman: This guy looks like he’s up to no good. He looks black.”
The full conversation ran as:
“Zimmerman: This guy looks like he’s up to no good. Or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about.
Dispatcher: OK, and this guy – is he black, white or Hispanic?
Zimmerman: He looks black.”
After being confronted by Reuters, NBC said, “During our investigation it became evident that there was an error made in the production process that we deeply regret. We will be taking the necessary steps to prevent this from happening in the future and apologize to our viewers.”
“An error made in the production process” or intentional disinformation? You decide.