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NBC Miami reporter fired over misleading edit of George Zimmerman’s 911 call

MIAMI — A reporter at NBC’s WTVJ was fired after a 911 call made by Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman, was edited in a way that made his comments appear racist, similar to the misleading clip shown on NBC’s flagship “Today” show.

Jeff Burnside, who was with the Miami-based station for 13 years, was axed last Friday, journalism blog Poynter.org reported.

Two other unnamed employees were also disciplined over the incident, according to The Miami Herald. WTVJ aired a correction and apology during its newscasts Wednesday evening, the newspaper stated.

WTVJ spokesman Matt Glassman said, “We take this incident very seriously and apologize to our viewers. After conducting an extensive investigation, we are putting a more stringent editorial process in place to ensure this does not happen again.”

When asked for comment, Burnside told Poynter.org, “As anybody in the news business knows, something that seems very clear is often very, very complicated.”

The tape shown on the “Today” show on March 27 was edited so it appeared Zimmerman said, “This guy looks like he’s up to no good … He looks black.” In the actual call, Zimmerman’s description of Martin’s race was in reply to a later question from the dispatcher who asked, “OK, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?”

An unnamed south Florida-based employee was fired April 5 over that segment, a day after NBC said, “We will be taking the necessary steps to prevent this from happening in the future and apologize to our viewers.”

A main topic of debate, since the Feb. 26 shooting made headlines, was whether it was racially-motivated.

Neighborhood watch volunteer Zimmerman, 28, shot Martin, 17, as he walked through a gated community in the Orlando suburb of Sanford, Fla., where he was staying with his father. Zimmerman claims he shot Martin in self-defense after the teen attacked him, though Martin was unarmed.

Zimmerman was initially cleared of wrongdoing, before eventually being arrested on a charge of second-degree murder. He was released from a Florida jail on $150,000 bail late Sunday.

The six-week interval between Martin’s death and Zimmerman’s arrest sparked national protests about perceived racial injustice.