Maggie_T
03-09-2001, 03:17 PM
The RANDy Corporation
Gold Star Member
posts: 80
(1/30/01 10:13:00 am)
Reply NRA says Media doesn't like guns, duh
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NRA-ILA FAX ALERT
Vol. 8, No.4 1/26/01
MORE PROOF THAT MAJOR NETWORKS
ARE BIASED AGAINST OUR RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS
A recent study by the Media Research Center (MRC) documents the palpable
anti-gun bias of the major television networks in reporting
firearm-related news. A study released by the MRC last year examined 653
morning and evening news stories from July 1, 1997, to June 30, 1999, and
found that stories advocating gun control on ABC, CBS, CNN, and NBC
outpaced those opposing by a ratio of nearly 10 to 1. The recent study
examined the same period, and showed that the bias advocating more
restrictions on law-abiding gun owners is accompanied by an apparent
unwillingness to cover stories that the pro-Second Amendment community
would like to see.
For example, over the past several years, when NRA spokesmen had been
invited to comment on the debate over gun control on news programs, they
regularly pointed out the failure of the Clinton-Gore Administration to
prosecute armed violent felons. But the MRC study showed that TV reporters
mentioned the drop in federal prosecutions under Clinton only eight times
during the period studied. Similarly, NRA has been promoting real
crime-fighting programs such as the "Project Exile" prosecution model,
which originated in Richmond, Va., for several years. The networks,
however, mentioned this program a mere three times over the period
studied. "Project Exile"-a cooperative effort among local, state, and
federal law enforcement and prosecutors-targets violent felons who violate
firearm laws, seeks the most stringent penalties available, and has been
credited with a dramatic reduction in Richmond's violent gun-related
crime.
The lawful, defensive use of firearms by law-abiding citizens is a subject
that has also been widely ignored, according to the MRC. Although
award-winning criminologist Gary Kleck has estimated that firearms are
used as often as 2.5 million times a year for protection, the networks
reported such acts only 12 times out of the 653 firearm-related stories
covered.
And while NRA constantly points out that
passing new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners does nothing to reduce
crime, especially in light of the countless laws that are violated in
every high-profile shooting, this argument was mentioned only five times
over the study period.
This latest study complements last year's study, and supports another MRC
study released in 1994. The 1994 study focused solely on evening news
programs from December 1, 1991, to November 30, 1993, and found that 62%
of the 107 stories examined devoted substantially more time to anti-gun
arguments than pro-gun. It also found that news commentators who endorsed
gun control outnumbered those opposed by nearly 2 to 1, and the anti-gun
bias was even more distinct when the story concerned the Brady bill,
expanding to 3 to 1 against the pro-Second Amendment view. Of course,
advocates of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms have been painfully aware of
this institutional bias for years, but as more studies report what we
already know to be a problem, perhaps the networks will begin to take
notice. If they don't, more and more viewers will desert them for more
objective news sources. If you would like more information on the MRC
(www.mrc.org) and its recent study
(www.mrc.org/news/reality/...106.html), go to its website
at www.mrc.org (http://www.mrc.org) (www.mrc.org).
------------ Joshua 24:15
Gold Star Member
posts: 80
(1/30/01 10:13:00 am)
Reply NRA says Media doesn't like guns, duh
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NRA-ILA FAX ALERT
Vol. 8, No.4 1/26/01
MORE PROOF THAT MAJOR NETWORKS
ARE BIASED AGAINST OUR RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS
A recent study by the Media Research Center (MRC) documents the palpable
anti-gun bias of the major television networks in reporting
firearm-related news. A study released by the MRC last year examined 653
morning and evening news stories from July 1, 1997, to June 30, 1999, and
found that stories advocating gun control on ABC, CBS, CNN, and NBC
outpaced those opposing by a ratio of nearly 10 to 1. The recent study
examined the same period, and showed that the bias advocating more
restrictions on law-abiding gun owners is accompanied by an apparent
unwillingness to cover stories that the pro-Second Amendment community
would like to see.
For example, over the past several years, when NRA spokesmen had been
invited to comment on the debate over gun control on news programs, they
regularly pointed out the failure of the Clinton-Gore Administration to
prosecute armed violent felons. But the MRC study showed that TV reporters
mentioned the drop in federal prosecutions under Clinton only eight times
during the period studied. Similarly, NRA has been promoting real
crime-fighting programs such as the "Project Exile" prosecution model,
which originated in Richmond, Va., for several years. The networks,
however, mentioned this program a mere three times over the period
studied. "Project Exile"-a cooperative effort among local, state, and
federal law enforcement and prosecutors-targets violent felons who violate
firearm laws, seeks the most stringent penalties available, and has been
credited with a dramatic reduction in Richmond's violent gun-related
crime.
The lawful, defensive use of firearms by law-abiding citizens is a subject
that has also been widely ignored, according to the MRC. Although
award-winning criminologist Gary Kleck has estimated that firearms are
used as often as 2.5 million times a year for protection, the networks
reported such acts only 12 times out of the 653 firearm-related stories
covered.
And while NRA constantly points out that
passing new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners does nothing to reduce
crime, especially in light of the countless laws that are violated in
every high-profile shooting, this argument was mentioned only five times
over the study period.
This latest study complements last year's study, and supports another MRC
study released in 1994. The 1994 study focused solely on evening news
programs from December 1, 1991, to November 30, 1993, and found that 62%
of the 107 stories examined devoted substantially more time to anti-gun
arguments than pro-gun. It also found that news commentators who endorsed
gun control outnumbered those opposed by nearly 2 to 1, and the anti-gun
bias was even more distinct when the story concerned the Brady bill,
expanding to 3 to 1 against the pro-Second Amendment view. Of course,
advocates of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms have been painfully aware of
this institutional bias for years, but as more studies report what we
already know to be a problem, perhaps the networks will begin to take
notice. If they don't, more and more viewers will desert them for more
objective news sources. If you would like more information on the MRC
(www.mrc.org) and its recent study
(www.mrc.org/news/reality/...106.html), go to its website
at www.mrc.org (http://www.mrc.org) (www.mrc.org).
------------ Joshua 24:15