SPOILER ALERT: The Times Breaks Its Trayvon Martin Embargo!

We have been baffled by the week-long absence of original reporting from the NY Times on the Trayvon Martin case.  Today, however, they front page the sort of news that reminds us why they are, hmm, the paper they are:

Comedy Timing Is Bad as News and Film Collide

By MICHAEL CIEPLY

LOS ANGELES — In the normal course of things a Hollywood movie about space aliens wouldn’t be affected by newspaper headlines.

But things aren’t entirely normal these days.

In recent weeks executives at 20th Century Fox have been quietly scrambling to distance a summer comedy, “Neighborhood Watch,” starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill, from the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Mr. Martin, an unarmed black teenager, was killed on Feb. 26 by George Zimmerman, a community watch participant in Sanford, Fla., who has said he acted in self-defense and has not been charged with a crime.

The Hollywood Reporter broke this on March 27; ABC News and the Daily News had it on March 28.  It is front page news for the Times today because... no, I have no idea at all.

But speaking of non-news, the front page of the Pravda-on-the-Hudson Times Business Section includes this account of the ratings drama between The Today Show and perennial runner-up Good Morning America.  Is there any mention of the recent and multi-layered debacle at the Today Show involving the ludicrous "He look's black" editing of the George Zimmerman 911 call?  There is not. 

And that omission is made more obviously willful by the fact that Brian Stelter, who gets a byline on the front-pager today, broke the news of the firing of an NBC producer last Friday on a NY Times blog (no mention in the paper of record, however).

The old movie promotional problem is news but the firing of an NBC producer is not even a part of their story about the challenges facing the Today Show?  That extends the list of things I can't begin to explain.

If the Times truly lacks for story angles, here are some thoughts: the WaPo hit the mean streetS of Stratford CT to see how a town had regrouped after a racially divisive incident in 2006. Have there been any racially divisive incidents in the NYC environs?

The AP explored the possible path to a civil lawsuit against the homeowners accociation.  Maybe there are lawyers in New York City who also operate or have contacts in Florida (what are the odds?), so the Times could take this up.

If they do, I would wonder about actually collecting from the housing association.  The Retreat at Twin Lakes began construction in 2004 and units went on sale just before the real estate bust:

The initial cost of a 1,400-square-foot townhome and the pass code to that front gate: $250,000. Today, post-boom, the price has dipped below $100,000.

I imagine most of the owners are already upside down and underwater.  If the association loses a big judgment it just means the banks (holding first mortgages) and the Martin family squabble over the remains.  But maybe some assets, like the clubhouse, are unencumbered.  Well as I said, this would take some reporting effort.  Maybe not as much effort as skimming week-old copies of Hollywood Reporter, but still...

Comments

[narciso]

All of which puts forth, Taranto's often stated query, does the Times read the Times.

[clarice feldman]

Is it a lack of imagination on your part, TM?

[narciso]

One needs a chiropractor to misunderstand reality this badly

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/08/2738118/what-trayvon-martins-social-media.html

[AliceH]

They're putting daily updates in their "News Transparency" section. You just can't see it because, um, it's Transparent, geddit?

[jwest]

No grand jury in the Trayvon case.

Looks like the world is safe for ham sandwiches after all.

[narciso]

I think the world you're looking for is translucent,

[Dave (in MA)]

A group of guys stumble upon an alien invasion during a faux neighborhood watch meeting where they usually do some male bonding to get away from their dull suburban lives in this sci-fi comedy starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Will Forte.

This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks green.

[Rob Crawford]

This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks green.

Now, see, that's just discriminating against zombies and Greedo and Yoda's people. Was ET green? Was Chewbacca? What about the musical fellows from "Close Encounters"? Or "Signs"?

[Rob Crawford]

No grand jury in the Trayvon case.

Bets on where the first "spontaneous display of anger" appears?

[Pender]

"No grand jury in the Trayvon case."

That doesn't mean the prosecutor will not bring charges.

[narciso]

'But you see, Chewbacca, was on Endor, but he's from the planet Kasshysk, why I am mentioning this' lol.

[narciso]

Speaking of absurd, Krugman, that is all,

[Jack is Back!]

narciso,

Krugman is from Endor, or Tana, as the Ewok call it. There he is known as Wicket W. Warrick.

Off to Cherokee and the Gem Mine and Newfound Gap.

[Extraneus]

Bets on where the first "spontaneous display of anger" appears?

[Frau Ostermontag]

Enron Adviser Krugman is from Endor,

FIFY

[Rob Crawford]

I should have known, Extraneus, I should have known.

[Tom Maguire]

"No grand jury in the Trayvon case."

I had figured that if she wanted to bring charges, she would bring them; if she wanted a no-charge, she would go to a grand jury and let them vote.

But I didn't think she would just announce a no-charge on her own authority.

So, either she has found a charge, or I am missing something. E.g., maybe she can deliver a final public report more easily if grand jury secrecy rules are not at issue, so she plans to issue a report to explain a lack of charges.

Or maybe the forensics, or some such, are completely at odds with Zimmerman's story. The Sanford PD wouldn't necessarily know that on Day 1, but now Zimmerman gets busted.

But I still haven't seen anything that looks like they can convict Zimmerman in court.

[clarice feldman]

My goodness, TM, that's a scenario no one hear thought of. I think you might be right in the 2d graph though. I expect she will issue a report that one by one demolishes the media's fairytale.

[clarice feldman]

**No one HERE thought of**

[jwest]

TM and Clarice, I would appreciate your input on my obsession with the editing of the arrival video. I keep thinking it’s a way to show a pattern of intentional misleading editing.

If you two don’t think so, please say “Just. Let. It. Go.”

[clarice feldman]

jwest, I think every major aspect of the reportage including the editing of the arrival video is suspect as a means to enforce a pre-judged view of the case and sensationalize a fairly ordinary , if sad,occurrence--the death of a violent teenager.

[jwest]

“…the death of a violent teenager.”

I don’t know if you meant to type “..the violent death of a teenager”, but no matter.

My focus on that video is primarily a means to help bring down the management and operating culture at NBC/MSNBC. Taken alone, the video itself wouldn’t be enough to raise the anger of most people, but coupled with their editing of Zimmermans 911 call, it might be enough to tip the scale.

It would also be helpful if we found out that the video I’m trying to find that is now hidden behind the “private” label was removed to cover up the fact of the editing.

[Appalled]

As things stand now --

1. Nobody has presented tangible, physical evidence that contradicts Zimmerman's story (or what we know of it)

2. Courtesy of NBC, media bias has become a real part of the story. Funny thing is, most of the problems seem to result from the media having a narrative so pre-planned that they were easily played by a lawyer looking for a payday. Unfortunately, NBC's egregious editing has obscured the fact that all the mediia has been engaging in an embarrasing display of herd mentality and rush to judgement.

3. Zimmerman has not beeen "cleared" by any stretch of the imagination and still might be charged with manslaughter.

My main unanswered questions are "What did the ballistics show?" and "What dooes the lead investigatin officer's affidavit say (provided it truly exists)?"

[Gus]

narciso, the Miami Herald story shows what LIBERAL WHITE FOLKS think NORMAL BLACK TEENS are.
It's kind of the reverse of the White Cop on Sanford and son.

[Tom Maguire]

I expect she will issue a report that one by one demolishes the media's fairytale.

Apparently Florida grand juries can issue reports. My common sense tells me a prosecutor ought to have a parallel power, but is that actually the law or custom in Florida?

BTW, I have a new "No grand jury" thread.

My focus on that video is primarily a means to help bring down the management and operating culture at NBC/MSNBC.

Jwest - the arrival video was ABC, yes? What am I missing?

The raw video is at the City of Sanford website, as I am sure you know.

[GMAX]

I imagine most of the owners are already upside down and underwater.

One of the first things that usually happens, is the 2nd or 3rd home that was held for an "investment" is suddenly turned into a rental unit, such that perhaps a majority of residents are now renters, as absentee owners are trying to get enough rent to pay the mortgage and the taxes.

And all reports are that this complex was extremely diverse. We dont know about ownership, but an enterprising reporter who was looking to break new ground could probably talk to the residents and research the owners by public record. I would bet right now on a pretty small overlap...

[jwest]

TM, Here is a link to a previous comment:

http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2012/04/all-our-yesterdays.html?cid=6a00d83451b2aa69e20168e9d9abfd970c#comment-6a00d83451b2aa69e20168e9d9abfd970c

MSNBC edited the video – no one else did. Now the video is gone, labeled “private”.

[GMAX]

What do you do with a free and clear clubhouse. In a HOA subdivision I previously lived in, we had 10 acres of flood plain, a swimming pool, two tennis courts and a Clubhouse, big enough to house a racketball court and a meeting room big enough for the annual meeting of homeowners. We would have gladly given the clubhouse to anyone foolish enough to take it. Almost never used, and lots of upkeep just like your house. Did you win with a judgement on the clubhouse or lose BIG TIME? I got money on the latter...

[Janet]

jwest, Did you view the edited MSNBC video on your computer or see it on TV? Maybe there is a way to retrieve it if you viewed it on your computer?
I'm a Luddite...so this might be a stupid suggestion. :(

[Janet]

Also, the first ABC video that came out was a video of a video. It was taken on an iphone or something & leaked to the press. Maybe ABC demanded MSNBC stop using it?

[jwest]

Janet, I saw the edited video on TV. At the time, I had already seen the original that was featured on ABC and was (by the next morning) being talked about and analyzed by a number of websites, so I knew what the original looked like.

When I first saw the video online, I noticed that the officer looked at the back of Zimmerman’s head. At the time I remember thinking, “if there are no apparent injuries, what is that cop looking at?”

That morning, MSNBC was featuring the story on “Morning Joe” (and every other program they had that day). When I watch the video they displayed, the portion where the officer looks at the back of Zimmerman’s head was skipped over. As I yelled at the television, they repeated the edited video a number of times. Next came Chuck Todd’s show, which showed the same edited video. Later, on Jansen & Co., the full video as it appeared on ABC without the deceptive editing appeared. I thought that there must have been a public outcry and that they changed to the unedited video because of complaints.

That was not to be. Later shows featured the edited version. It appears that the use of the unedited tape on Jansen & Co. was an individual choice by the producer of that show.

Looking back at what shows I can find for that date, every network has the video available except for the programs on MSNBC that used the edited video. I linked to the “Ed Show” above, which has what I believe to be the edited video, but now when you try to play it, it says that its “private”.

[Rick Ballard]

"as absentee owners are trying to get enough rent to pay the mortgage and the taxes"

Gmax,

Check Zillow. Roughly 10% of the units have changed hands in the past year. Selling prices have been in the $80-$100 per square foot range while rents are running $10-$12 per square foot. Carrying costs with 20% down, 20% vacancy/management, 1% property tax and 4% mortgage money run about $7.

The development is a reasonable microcosm of the state of the market, with renters spending 20-40% more per month than they would if they bought.

[clarice feldman]

jwesrt, unless you think GZ broke his own nose and smacked his own head against the concrete, I meant violent teenager.

[clarice feldman]

TM: " Apparently Florida grand juries can issue reports. My common sense tells me a prosecutor ought to have a parallel power, but is that actually the law or custom in Florida" It strikes me as bizarre to name t prosecutor to review the evidence and the police conduct without granting her the right to file a report should she choose not to proceed.