I know we’ve done a lot on Zimmerman already but I couldn’t let this pass without a blogpost.
Take a look at the considered opinion of BBC News Channel journalist Robert Rea on the day of the Zimmerman verdict. Rea claims Zimmerman only shot Martin because he was black, and it was shameful that he wasn’t found guilty by the jury. All twelve of them.
@Chelsea_Lass had he been blond and blue-eyed, Zimmerman wouldn't have shot him. He did so because Trayvon was black. Shameful verdict
— Robert Rea (@robertrea) July 14, 2013
@Chelsea_Lass and what's worse is it wasn't the Law that cleared Zimmerman. The Law put him on trial. It was a jury. 12 ordinary people
— Robert Rea (@robertrea) July 14, 2013
The jurors sat through all the evidence and concluded that Zimmerman was not guilty.
Rea’s grasp of the proceedings is such that he didn’t even know there were only six jurors.
His reaction is typical of many – an emotional response to a superficial narrative promoted by an agenda-driven media. That he can work in a BBC newsroom and be so ignorant of simple details of the trial is embarrassing, and doesn’t say much for the BBC’s own coverage of the court case. Of course, not knowing what went on in the courtroom didn’t prevent him from denouncing the jury for coming to the wrong verdict. It was just obvious the verdict was wrong, wasn’t it? It was the accepted wisdom in the newsroom.
This trial-be-damned Justice-4-Trayvon emoting has characterised the tweets of those BBC journalists I’ve seen commenting on the case. Just this morning I stumbled on a couple more from the day of the verdict.
BBC journalist Jo Deahl:
George Zimmerman. I know it's been said all day but… Really? REALLY?
— Jo Deahl (@elvisismyguru) July 14, 2013
BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast Show producer Laura Harmes:
So sad at Trayvon Martin verdict. Forget race, how can it be right that an unarmed boy gets pursued and shot dead and his killer walks free?
— Laura Harmes (@lauraharmes) July 14, 2013
@ageywage @NatashaSHenry it appears it is. My point was look at the basic facts of the case. A man killing an innocent boy.
— Laura Harmes (@lauraharmes) July 14, 2013
@Westofthelaw I'm not sure Zimmerman being Hispanic is relevant. It's about how white jury felt towards Trayvon.
— Laura Harmes (@lauraharmes) July 16, 2013
Further ignorance of, and disdain for, the jury there. And once again an emotional superficial understanding of the case.
A few days ago Richard Lawson, senior producer at Radio 5 Live, blocked me on Twitter for the following tweet:
@richardlawson79 No, "the world" is not aghast. It just seems that way if you work for the Guardian or the BBC. #groupthink
— DB (@4d2b) July 20, 2013
I’ve read lots of tweets by BBC hacks expressing sadness and anger over the verdict, and seen lots of links from them to articles in lefty publications reinforcing those emotions. I’ve yet to find a BBC journalist who tweeted that the Zimmerman verdict was right and proper.
Until evidence to the contrary emerges I’ll stick with my verdict: groupthink.