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Fox News Uses Trayvon Martin Death to Go After Gun Control Advocates

Posted by NewsHound Alex 35.20pc on March 19, 2012 · Flag

After a slow start in covering the shooting death of black teenager Trayvon Martin at the hands of self-appointed Neighborhood Watch captain George Zimmerman, Fox News is playing catch-up with more comprehensive coverage today. But on America Live, instead of concentrating on the tragedy itself, Martha McCallum and Trace Gallagher focused on National Rifle Association complaints that  the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence were using the shooting to call for tighter controls on firearms, and used selectively edited clips of the 911 tapes to further the Fox spin.

trayvon_martin_911_chyron.jpgAfter introducing the piece over a banner that read "Anti-Gun Advocates Use Teen's Death To Go After NRA" - a banner which stayed onscreen throughout the segment -  McCallum tossed to Trace Gallagher, saying "...the alleged gunman claiming that it was self defence, and now anti-gun advocates say the 911 calls from some witnesses prove otherewise, and they're using them as ammunition  in a new attack on the National Rifle Association."

Gallagher commented on a number of clips from the 911 calls, interjecting facts and comments as he went along, such as the following:

Zimmerman: "He looks black." Gallagher: "He says he thinks he's black but later told police he did not know his race."  Good thing you told us that, Trace, just in case some bleeding heart libs try to play the race card or sumthin'. But, gee, why didn't you tell us these pesky facts?

  • Moments after Zimmerman said "He looks black," he continued, "He's a black male."
  • According to the Miami Herald,  the local police chief, Bill Lee, told the paper that the tapes of the 911 calls would prove the incident was not a case of racial profiling, "because when asked whether the suspect was white or black he said he did not know." In other words, the police chief misrepresented what was on the tape - and it appears that Gallagher reported it as if this was a statement made by Zimmerman himself later on.

 Gallagher played a few more clips from the 911 tapes - including a harrowing excerpt where Trayvon Martin can be clearly heard crying our for help and then being shot - and then returned to the spin du jour. "Florida is also a "Stand Your Ground" state which means that you can use guns or other deadly force as self defense without backing out of a confrontation. Now, the National Rifle Association backed that law, and now the Brady Campaign, which pushes for tougher gun laws, says that's the NRA's vision for America."

Here is what the Brady Campaign President Dan Gross said:

Make no mistake: This tragic shooting represents the National Rifle Association's vision for America. The NRA's vision is an America that looks just like Florida, where it's easy for criminals and dangerous people to get, carry, and use guns. The NRA wants us to be a nation without any gun laws, a nation where just about anybody can get a gun and take it anywhere. Their leaders and spokespeople use fear, paranoia and misleading notions of self-defense to justify flooding our streets with armed and violent people, and the result is more tragedies like Trayvon's. Trayvon's life has been lost not because of an accident, but because of the easy access to a gun by a violent person permitted by a state with weak gun laws.

Yep, he said it. But isn't that precisely what the NRA do want? I'm sure we'd all be very interested if one of our NRA-supporting readers (we know you're out there) can supply us with evidence which would refute apparent facts such as the ones the Brady Campaign have published here demonstrating that  the USA's lax gun laws, lobbied for by the wealthy NRA, make it far too easy for criminals and nutjobs to get hold of guns.

Then, unbelievably, Trace Gallgher wrapped up his report on this horrible tragedy this way:

"It's important to point out that gun sales in this country have never been higher and the crime rate, says the FBI, is very low." * Only on Fox News could a reporter say that to camera with a straight face while recounting the tragic gun death of an innocent teenager.

Trayvon_Martin.jpgAs the mother of a teenage boy, even typing out Trace Gallagher's weasel words makes me want to cry and scream with anguish and fury. That could have been my son, my heart cries out. That could have been my beautiful boy ambling home from the store in the rain with his hood pulled up, clutching his treats with happy anticipation. It could have been - it might still be - the teenage son of millions of moms and dads. Look at his face, so open, still shining with the light of childhood, the face of a child not quite a man, the face of a loving son that a mother covered with kisses, a son who, like my own, was not embarrassed to hug his mom in public. A face forever lost to his loved ones, a heart forever still. Shame on you, Trace Gallagher. Shame on you, Fox News.

 

*Nice one, Trace. How low is the crime rate? Where? You didn't specify gun-related crime. According to the Tampa Bay Times, "Since the [Stand Your Ground] law went into effect, reports of justifiable [sic] homicides have tripled, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It has been used to absolve violence resulting from road rage, barroom arguments and even a gang gunfight." And according to this article analyzing FBI stats through 2010, while gun crime is down in the vast majority of states, it is up in New York, Virginia, New Jersey, Mississippi, Missouri, Arizona, Delaware, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Connecticut and several of the smaller states. And there are no gun homocide stats available for Florida.

more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/16/2697604/trayvon-martins-parents-criss.html?asset_id=2699335&asset_type=audio#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/16/2697604/trayvon-martins-parents-criss.html?asset_id=2699335&asset_type=audio#storylink=cpy

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Aria Prescott commented 2012-03-21 20:26:50 -0400 · Flag
I think it’s really cute that Scott can’t tell the difference between “most watched” and “most trusted.”

You know what makes Nielsen and Arbitron really cool, Scott? They poll people on why they watch. Commonly given answers for Fox News:

T&A
It works as a sitcom
I wanna see what they’ll say next
They agree with me

Not many people say “I trust them” or “They’re good news”.
scott bogle commented 2012-03-21 10:49:13 -0400 · Flag
You are missing the point Alex, nothing on that Roger Ailes article is demonstrably, factually wrong; nor is it demonstrably, factually correct. It is hearsay, it is based on the words of a former employee and offers no facts at all.
NewsHound Alex commented 2012-03-21 10:13:33 -0400 · Flag
And Scott – go to this post from last night by Ellen and then tell me Fox News doesn’t indulge in selective editing to present a story in a particular way – just as I said in my post on this page.

http://www.newshounds.us/o_reilly_edits_out_racial_aspects_of_trayvon_martin_case_03212012
NewsHound Alex commented 2012-03-21 10:05:54 -0400 · Flag
Hey Scott, the topic is Fox news and its bias, not who uses what foul language or who has what ratings. Jersey Shore is popular, too. abd I believe Hitler was pretty popular in his day, too (and no, I am NOT calling Ailes/Fox Nazis, I am saying popularity is no guarantee of anything). So please take your red herrings out of here, they’re really starting to stink. Get it? got it? Good.

Now please point out what in that RS article about Roger Ailes / Fox News is demonstrably, factually wrong.

And while we’re at it, please do the same for the GOP War on Voting article.

Thanks


Aria – Thanks so much for your input, I’m busy with other fish to fry (and they’re not red herrings!) How long do you think it’ll be before one of the idiots from you-know-who’s site tweets that I compared Fox News to Nazis?! In 10-9-8-…
scott bogle commented 2012-03-21 07:10:01 -0400 · Flag
Get it? Got it? Good.
scott bogle commented 2012-03-21 07:09:02 -0400 · Flag
Ok Aria, how about the NY Times, you liberals like that paper right?

Fox News Tops Cable Ratings

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/fox-news-tops-cable-ratings/

How about the Miami herald

Fox News wins another ratings victory

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/changing_channels/2009/09/fox-news-wins-another-ratings-victory.html

How about the huffington post.

The cable news ratings for January 2012 are in, and as usual, Fox News cleared the top programs. The network claimed the thirteen highest rating shows of the month. Moreover, it celebrated 10 straight years as the top cable news channel.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/cable-news-ratings-top-30_n_1247148.html

No matter how you cut it, Fox News is watched by more Americans then any other News Show.
scott bogle commented 2012-03-21 05:44:13 -0400 · Flag
I did read your article Alex, it was 13 pages of hearsay and fluff by a biased reporter. If he can even call himself that. And MJ, thanks for showing us all your ignorance, Fox News has been the Highest rated Cable News program for 10 years, that means more people watch Fox News then any other News program on TV.

So what none of you have any comment on the Vile language that your side uses everyday.
Aria Prescott commented 2012-03-21 05:43:06 -0400 · Flag
A blogspot poll? Really? I have access to Nielsen, Armatron, relay feedbacks and quite a few nationally accredited poll sites. But it’s cute that you would think a blogspot account beats that.

And if we’re talking about condemning the C word, how about we go through the Fox News archives and find all the times they defended Rush Limbaugh for using that word.

While we’re at it, how about we see how many of them condemned Beck’s language. Coulter’s? Malkin’s? When O’Reilly called Tiller “the baby killer”, how many people warned him that could cause violent sentiment?

Oh, and I have videos of both Ailes and Murdoch being asked about hateful, possibly violent speak and responding with “They were right to say it.” But by all means, let’s compare comedians who were condemned by the left for their comments against Fox News hosts that the station owners said “yeah, and we approve!”

Obama said DeNiro’s “first white first lady” comment at his fundraiser was inappropriate and unappreciated, can we cross that one off, or does Obama have to get on TV and give Gingrich an apology in DeNiro’s place? Come to think of it… why does the apology have to be given to Gingrich? Isn’t he in like, last place?
NewsHound Alex commented 2012-03-21 04:55:17 -0400 · Flag
Scott Bogle is afraid to read the article I suggested and is tap dancing all around it instead.
mj - the same one commented 2012-03-21 01:22:22 -0400 · Flag
“As much as you all hate Fox News, it is still the most trusted News Organization in the Country.” — scott boogle

And yet — it’s still watched by less than 0.0001% of the US population on any given day . . .

.
scott bogle commented 2012-03-20 22:40:05 -0400 · Flag
Really Aria, have you ever heard anyone on Fox News call anyone a Slut. What about a cunt, have you heard that.

When is that last time you heard someone on the right refer to Nancy Pelosi and her “her f@#&ing retard making cunt” and “the baby that just came out of her f@#%ing disgusting cunt.”

We do not go around calling the Occupy movement the real enemy, we do not go around saying that members of Occupy Wallstreet want to “Lynch black people”.

Don’t you dare lecture me on the inflammatory language of the right. Because between Ed Shultz, Bill Maher, Rep. Fredrica Wilson, Rep. Andre Carson, and Louis CK, you Democrats have cornered the market on disgusting language.

Oh and I can post links to the Videos of these people saying these things, just in case you wanted to accuse me of lieing too.
scott bogle commented 2012-03-20 22:11:15 -0400 · Flag
Do you know what the funniest thing about all this is. As much as you all hate Fox News, it is still the most trusted News Organization in the Country.

I give you Public Police Polling.

Fox leads for trust

Americans do not trust the major tv news operations in the country- except for Fox News.

http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2010/01/fox-leads-for-trust.html
Aria Prescott commented 2012-03-20 21:56:54 -0400 · Flag
In other words, you want an unbiased source, but you can’t give us examples of that. Nice.

Now, I can’t speak for others, but I have no problem going after CNN and MSNBC when they get caught. But I end up “targeting” Fox News the most because when I put the three networks together, I find that the Fox News host is the one presenting a blatantly dishonest narrative. Not biased, flat dishonest.

In fact… sometimes I write for this site, and the last article I submitted is an example of that.

http://www.newshounds.us/bill_o_reilly_media_is_blatantly_dishonest_except_for_fox_news_03162012

Bill O’Reilly omitted facts, and misrepresented himself with the intent of lying about what Media Matters said about him. He then smugly (and hypocritically) tried to form the audience’s opinion about his personal feud with said lies.

Since I began fact-checking broadcasts, my daily ratio for every story has been that for every one mistruth I pull out of MSNBC and every half-truth I pull out of CNN, I pull 15 flat-out, no mistake, they’re not even showing enough respect to put on a poker face lies from Fox News. If Rachel Maddow does a story and gets caught in one lie to help the left, chances are that if say… Bill O’Reilly did the same story, I would catch him in at least 15 to help the right. And chances are that at least 10 of those lies are fitted to his inflammitory rhetoric.

And don’t get me started on unprofessional conduct, infammitory language, lack of accountability, polarization and rudeness to the opposing view.

Get it? Got it? Good.
scott bogle commented 2012-03-20 21:17:18 -0400 · Flag
Honestly, I have yet to find anyone that is truly unbiased. However, there are some that are less biased than others. For example, it does not get any more biased then an organization whose mission statement is: “Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501©(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media”.

And unless I am mistaken 501©(3) organizations are suppost to be non political.

Nor is a Magazine with articles like:

Why Conservatives Are Still Crazy After All These Years

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/why-conservatives-are-still-crazy-after-all-these-years-20120316#ixzz1phzdRLBa

Or like this:

The GOP War on Voting
In a campaign supported by the Koch brothers, Republicans are working to prevent millions of Democrats from voting next year

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-gop-war-on-voting-20110830#ixzz1pi0HriIg

Or how about this:

How the GOP Became the Party of the Rich
The inside story of how the Republicans abandoned the poor and the middle class to pursue their relentless agenda of tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-the-gop-became-the-party-of-the-rich-20111109#ixzz1pi0aTPHF

I mean I could go on, but do I really need to. Tell you all what, why don’t you creat a blog to expose the lies and fear-mongering of Rolling Stone. I mean come on the Republican party is not trying to keep people from voting, that is just ridiculous.

Bottom line is all of our so called News organizations are biased, it is just ridiculous that you all seem to have targeted Fox News because they are about the only ones that lean to the right instead of the left. After all I thought that you Democrats were supposted to be the ones that were all for the 1st amendment, or is that just for people that you agree with.
NewsHound Alex commented 2012-03-20 18:35:31 -0400 · Flag
Nice question, Aria. We’re waiting with interest, Scott.
Aria Prescott commented 2012-03-20 17:55:38 -0400 · Flag
Ok, Scott… I feel like joining in, so tell me who you consider “unbiased”, as in names- not what you consider unbiased, but actual names of outlets.
scott bogle commented 2012-03-20 16:01:16 -0400 · Flag
Show me solid proof from an UNBIASED organization and then I will listen.
scott bogle commented 2012-03-20 15:59:52 -0400 · Flag
No Alex, you are right. Matt Taibbi did not write the article you referenced, but Rolling Stone printed it. They did not have to put that article up on there website, they did not have to print it, but they did. And that makes them just as baised as you claim Fox News is. And you can not convince me that Fox News is intentionally deceiving us by quoting me article writen and published by other biased organizations like Media Matters and Rolling Stone.
Aria Prescott commented 2012-03-20 14:18:21 -0400 · Flag
My friend Tex declined from joining this debate, but he did leave me his take on the shooting, FWIW:

“You know, at first I figured that the test case for these self defense laws would be some guy coming home, finding a guy in bed with his wife, shooting him and trying to use the Castle Doctrine.

There was a case in the Houston area where a man shot two immigrants, I believe from Africa, because they seemed to be trying to break into a neighbor’s house. Despite incriminating remarks he made to the 911 operator, he was not charged either. I just heard on the news that it looks like the feds are taking over this case in Florida. From what I’ve seen, it looks like they should.

I still support the Castle Doctrine and the Stand Your Ground movement, but like I’ve said, this appears to be total abuse of the spirit of those laws."
NewsHound Alex commented 2012-03-20 14:05:02 -0400 · Flag
Scott – Matt Taibbi didn’t write the article I’m referring to.That article, btw, has never been ably refuted either. You’re welcome to try to do so. Or are you afraid of what you’re going to read?

I condemn any public figure using sexist language. But this is a blog about Fox News, not MSNBC, and the topic here is not sexist language. Try to stay on topic. Thanks.
scott bogle commented 2012-03-20 12:55:06 -0400 · Flag
Alex, do you mean the same Rolling Stone that Printed “So Andrew Breitbart is dead. Here’s what I have to say to that, and I’m sure Breitbart himself would have respected this reaction: Good! Fuck him. I couldn’t be happier that he’s dead”.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/andrew-breitbart-death-of-a-douche-20120301#ixzz1pg0wa4Mf

No, I don’t think that I am going to be taking their word on how bad Fox news is.

And While we are at it let us talk about Ed Shultz from MSNBC who called Laura Ingram a “Right-wing Slut”. Don’t tell me about how bad Fox is unless you are also willing to condemn MSNBC in the same manner.
NewsHound Alex commented 2012-03-20 11:32:00 -0400 · Flag
Dropping in to reprint this comment from Twitter: “If a black militia showed up at the Republican convention in Tampa holding guns, Florida might change its law.” Interesting thought.
truman commented 2012-03-20 10:40:34 -0400 · Flag
If Zimmerman was dark-skinned and Martin was white-skinned, Bildo would organize the lynch mob and KKKlannity would buy the rope.
NewsHound Alex commented 2012-03-20 10:08:57 -0400 · Flag
My apologies for calling you “Scottie”. That was out of line and I have edited the relevant comment. As our regular readers know, a glitch in the platform software means that edits may take a while to show up on the public site.

I’m not a legal expert and don’t claim to be one. Thank you for input on the use of the word “alleged”.

I don’t believe that Fox News spin, lie, deceive, and foster hate and vendettas because I am a liberal. On the contrary – I was always a centrist (if there is such a thing), but it was when I began to smell a rat and started looking behind the Fox News spin after 9/11 that I moved further left and began to identify strongly as liberal. One might say I became a liberal because of Fox News. I did my own homework, and it was that which eventually brought me to NewsHounds as a reader, then a commenter, and finally a writer and support person.

But this issue is not about me — it’s about Fox News. A good look through our archives will show you why we think Fox is so damaging.

You may have noticed that one of the boogeymen of Fox News is Media Matters, and like most conservatives consider them beneath consideration. However, if you spend some time there,too, and really examine their articles, you will find that their information on Fox spin is thoroughly researched and documented. And with all the hysterical hate-mongering Fox do about MM, they have never, to my knowledge, successfully refuted the vast bulk of MM reporting (if any!) and certainly were never able to pick apart David Brock’s books on facts – only on ad hominem arguments.

And if you don’t believe any of us, try this article from Rolling Stone about Fox supremo Roger Ailes:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-roger-ailes-built-the-fox-news-fear-factory-20110525 .

Have a good day,
Alex
scott bogle commented 2012-03-20 09:56:05 -0400 · Flag
Well put Richard, we only have to look at D.C. to see that gun bans do not work.
scott bogle commented 2012-03-20 09:33:24 -0400 · Flag
First of all, don’t patronize me Alex. I am not a child. Second, yes of course anyone can be racist, but the original reports about it being a racist event reported that it was a White neighborhood watch captian that shot a Black teen. Third, I know all about what the Florida police are saying, and they are not saying that he is innocent and that the case is closed. What they are saying is that they need to investigate further before making any arrests. More then likely, he will be arrested and he will go to trial. Finally, I get it that you are a liberal and you don’t like Fox News. But just because you don’t like what they report does not mean that they lie, deceive, and foster hate and vendettas.
NewsHound Alex commented 2012-03-20 09:29:46 -0400 · Flag
One final comment on Scott’s reaction. Yes, the Brady Campaign went the offensive. But to my knowledge the NRA has not entered into an argument with them. It looks like Fox News are trying to gin this up into a brawl and a major issue by running this chyron throughout the entire segment, the purpose being to frame the slaughter of Trayvon Martin as an issue about “freedom” and the 2nd amendment rather than one about justice and the search for the truth of what really happened to Trayvon.
NewsHound Alex commented 2012-03-20 09:20:48 -0400 · Flag
Re “alleged gunman”, my initial reaction was the same as Bala’s – in fact, I deleted a snarky reference to the phrase in my final edit. But I do wonder if, since Zimmerman has confessed and the police said he has no charges to answer, Scott’s argument still holds.

Having said that, now that the FBI and DOJ have stepped in the possibility of a trial re-opens, so its better that the major media outlets use use “alleged” – otherwise his defense might be able to claim, successfully, that the chance of a fair trial had been irrevocably prejudiced.
NewsHound Alex commented 2012-03-20 09:13:57 -0400 · Flag
So, Scott Bogle, Hispanic people are incapable of being racist against black people? You don’t know anything about the dynamics of racism, do you?

Do you really think the killer would have followed that kid and killed him if he was blonde and white with a tennis tan?

The main issue I am targeting here is not racism but biased reporting. None of us know for sure whether or not race was a motivation (although my personal suspicion is that it was a major contributing factor). The point is that it looks like Gallagher tried to whitewash (pun intended) the possibility that racism played a part with selective editing and by unquestioningly quoting the police chief.

If you think the Stand Your Ground law has nothing to do with this case you haven’t been paying attention. That is the law under which the police said they had no grounds to arrest Zimmerman and no evidence to challenge his version of events. Here, educate yourself:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/worldview/killing-of-black-florida-teen-puts-stand-your-ground-law-on-trial/article2374877/

“Fox leans to the right but the others blah blah blah”. Fox News claims to be Fair and Balanced. It’s their slogan. They deliberately refuse to live up to it. We complain about it because they spin, lie, deceive, and foster hate and vendettas in the service of the Republican party and their sheeple.

Any other questions, Scott?
scott bogle commented 2012-03-20 09:01:29 -0400 · Flag
And by the way Bala, they call him the alleged gunman for the same reason that they still call Major Nidal Hasan (the fort hood shooter) the alleged gunman, because it does not matter if he confesses, he is still not guilty until he is found guilty by a jury of his peers. That is the way you justice system works. innocent until proven guilty, no matter what you admit to. Incidentally, Politico is also referring to Zimmerman as the alleged shooter, and NBC’s report says that Zimmerman allegedly shot him. So again, stop complaining about Fox.
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