journalists and guns
- Thread starter zooski22
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Nothing new about it. It is either done intentionally or out of inexcusable ignorance.
Well, you can try to write and educate the reporter of his errors. Or invite him out for an afternoon of shooting. But I doubt either will be accepted. At the IL gun owners rally in Springfield this year the local tv station sent down a crew hours before anyone showed up, then reported on how noone showed up while showing video of the empty convention center. I wrotte them a letter, that has yet to recieve a response. That was in March.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Sure. We've been saying that for years.
The more frustrating thing is that the difference is so completely irrelevant. Many perfectly law-abiding citizens own real M-16 assault rifles and know that they are hardly more or less lethal than the neutered AR-15 semi-auto everyone else owns. And many competition shooters know that with a plain jane AR-15 and a bit of skill a shooter could, were he so sick and deranged, kill just as many (if not more!) people just as fast with rapid aimed fire than could someone burning through a mag with an M-16.
The tools DON'T matter, and aren't the problem. We've used the "they aren't really 'assault rifles' dodge for decades. It doesn't matter to the anits and probably hurts us more than it helps.
We divide and conquer ourselves when we play the "oh, that wasn't MY kind of gun" card.
The more frustrating thing is that the difference is so completely irrelevant. Many perfectly law-abiding citizens own real M-16 assault rifles and know that they are hardly more or less lethal than the neutered AR-15 semi-auto everyone else owns. And many competition shooters know that with a plain jane AR-15 and a bit of skill a shooter could, were he so sick and deranged, kill just as many (if not more!) people just as fast with rapid aimed fire than could someone burning through a mag with an M-16.
The tools DON'T matter, and aren't the problem. We've used the "they aren't really 'assault rifles' dodge for decades. It doesn't matter to the anits and probably hurts us more than it helps.
We divide and conquer ourselves when we play the "oh, that wasn't MY kind of gun" card.
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Reloadron
Contributing Member
Look on the bright side. They at least referred to it as an AR 15 rather than a M 16.
This what happens when people who are clueless about firearms decide to write about firearms sans any journalism homework being done. Sometimes it is intentional and sometimes it is simply firearms ignorance.
Ron
berettaprofessor
Member
I saw a TV reporter who said the Aurora shooter had a Glock 40 and a magazine for it, but that the police had been unable to find the "clip" for the weapon.
I wonder what the reporter thought was in the magazine? An article on how to conduct mass shootings with a Glock 40?
I wonder what the reporter thought was in the magazine? An article on how to conduct mass shootings with a Glock 40?
del4
Member
If you think that's bad, just wait until your wife calls it an "AR-15 semi-automatic machine gun" during your divorce hearing.
Buck Kramer
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- 683
First it was an "ak type rifle" then and "a-15" with "high capacity clips" THEN they said that the AR "normally has 10-15 round magazines" with a cyclic rate of 50-60RPM.
A side note in their defense, no one who knows anything about the guns used (THR-like people) is going to want to have anything to due with their "anti" story. So they are left with people ignorant about firearms and the 2ndA.
A side note in their defense, no one who knows anything about the guns used (THR-like people) is going to want to have anything to due with their "anti" story. So they are left with people ignorant about firearms and the 2ndA.
theautobahn
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I was surprised, when halfway through this article:
http://news.yahoo.com/colo-authorities-identify-final-rampage-victims-224522288.html
I read:
Pleasantly surprised, I should say.
http://news.yahoo.com/colo-authorities-identify-final-rampage-victims-224522288.html
I read:
Pleasantly surprised, I should say.
WvHiker
Member
It's especially annoying at times like this, but nothing new. Non-gun people don't learn about guns the way we do, same with any hobby. Even my wife doesn't know the terminology and differences between things like an AR and an AK, and she hears a lie of gun talk. Unless you're interested it all just sounds like a bunch of technical jargon, easy to confuse. Sometimes it's intentional, to help whip up hysteria, but a lot of people just don't know.
On a side note, is the "AR" in AR-15 short for "Assault Rifle?". I've always thought so.
On a side note, is the "AR" in AR-15 short for "Assault Rifle?". I've always thought so.
Deanimator
Member
Today's so-called "journalists" are some of the most:
Between all of the "machinegun" talk and the insane attempt by Brian Ross to tie Holmes to the Tea Party, the media has taken even more hits to its already shredded "credibility".
But then this is hardly "news" (pun intended). After all, look at Walter Duranty. He lied about mass murder in the Soviet Union.
- intellectually lazy
- cravenly dishonest
Between all of the "machinegun" talk and the insane attempt by Brian Ross to tie Holmes to the Tea Party, the media has taken even more hits to its already shredded "credibility".
But then this is hardly "news" (pun intended). After all, look at Walter Duranty. He lied about mass murder in the Soviet Union.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Tomorrow morning I'll walk into work following a 3 day weekend as I was off Friday. I will get bombarded with questions and undoubtedly hear from the anti-gun sandbox group. I will give the same response I always give when a tragedy like this happens. They will ask about the weapon(s) used and I'll reply I don't know.
Being gun savvy makes one not just a target of the anti-gun clan but also just plain inquiring minds. I make it a point to reserve comment. Only once I actually know what happened, discounting preliminary and often misleading news reports will I offer my comments. Trying to explain the operation of an AR rifle to those not at all savvy is a daunting task. Trying to explain my rights to the anti-gun sandbox group is even more daunting. They are not about to change my stance nor will I change theirs so things are best left unsaid.
Just MY Take
Ron
Being gun savvy makes one not just a target of the anti-gun clan but also just plain inquiring minds. I make it a point to reserve comment. Only once I actually know what happened, discounting preliminary and often misleading news reports will I offer my comments. Trying to explain the operation of an AR rifle to those not at all savvy is a daunting task. Trying to explain my rights to the anti-gun sandbox group is even more daunting. They are not about to change my stance nor will I change theirs so things are best left unsaid.
Just MY Take
Ron
JohnM
Member
AR- Armalite, the company that designed it originally.
RCArms.com
Member
AR = Armalite Rifle
RetiredUSNChief
Member
You mean, like not knowing the difference between a bullet and a cartridge?
A humorous video for a case in point (courtesty of the Dissident Frogman, upset about journalistic misdirection):
http://youtu.be/A2sAFHBptJE
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mljdeckard
Member
So, did you send a respectful letter to the editor explaining their error?
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
No doubt the media doesn't know everything about everything. While some of us may think that the media in the good old days was so much better, that is largely based on selective memory. If you go back and watch some of the WWII newsreels, you will laugh at how many things are improperly termed.
We aren't much better as a group of gun owners, hunters, and people interested in self defense and the law. How many times have we found our fellow gun owners on the forum mixing clip and magazine? We complain when the media calls a Glock or 1911 an "automatic" pistol because they aren't automatic. That is wrong, of course. They are automatic. In fact, the 1911 was originally the called an automatic pistol and the ammo was "ACP" which stood for 'Automatic Colt Pistol.' It is an autoloader and so is automatic, but it is not fully automatic. Calling it automatic is correct and accurate, but calling it fully automatic would not be...but we apparently don't want it called "automatic."
I am certain that you cannot point to a time in history when journalism was purely about reporting events. In going through a lot of the letters and documents from the Dealy family at the Dallas Historical Society, it was clear that in the early part of the last century that the new media had an agenda, often well intentioned, but not always. In the US, as early as the first elections, newspapers have sided with the candidates they thought were best. It would be patently naive to believe that journalism has ever been different when it comes to knowledge and agendas. Some reporters may be very good, but as a whole, the industry has always been like this.
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beatledog7
Member
In theory, journalism is objective, fact-based reporting of events. In practice, for way too many journalists, journalism is saying/writing whatever gets the journalist paid.
With the upmost respect to the police chief in Aurora, that's crazy talk to think that an AR-15 can only shoot 50-60 rounds per minute. When I used to have to qualify with a rifle, part of the qual was 5 rounds in 2.5 seconds in an 8 inch circle from 10 yards. That is a very simple task. To practice for the qual, they would have us try and do 10 rounds in 2.5 seconds.
Luckily the media is only reporting the 50-60 number
Luckily the media is only reporting the 50-60 number
mokin
Member
Listen to the international reporters. I have never heard them once use the term "assult weapon". It's aways "automatic weapon", "automatic rifle" or occasionally "heavy machine gun fire". As for the local guys/gals I believe if they had any interest in learning the difference they'd be in another line of work.
tobenheim
Member
My LGS/Range happens to be in Aurora and they have had a steady stream of reporters in their store asking questions, shooting video and taking pictures. They are in a tough position as trying to be responsible and informative members of the Aurora community, but it is definitely trying their patience.
Yesterday while I was there a reporter and photographer kept pestering them to take an AR and hold it up across their chest for a photo op. Of course they refused as it was definitely and "anti" set up to make them look like gun toting radicals. On top of that, they are still trying to run a business and they had a lot of customers yesterday--not a great time to have a reporter looking over your shoulder asking foolish questions.
Here is the funny thing: my 13 year old daughter was with me. She loves the store/range and they guys there treat her very well. She often shoots the rental .22 they have in the store and they encourage her as she improves a little each time. Anyhow, we get back in the car and she says, "Those reportes are idiots! They don't know anything about guns. They just want to make gun owners look bad!" Good for her! Great wisdom for a 13 year old girl. She came home and made a t-shirt for herself that say, "Don't Blame the Guns!" We may have a future NRA member on our hands.
Yesterday while I was there a reporter and photographer kept pestering them to take an AR and hold it up across their chest for a photo op. Of course they refused as it was definitely and "anti" set up to make them look like gun toting radicals. On top of that, they are still trying to run a business and they had a lot of customers yesterday--not a great time to have a reporter looking over your shoulder asking foolish questions.
Here is the funny thing: my 13 year old daughter was with me. She loves the store/range and they guys there treat her very well. She often shoots the rental .22 they have in the store and they encourage her as she improves a little each time. Anyhow, we get back in the car and she says, "Those reportes are idiots! They don't know anything about guns. They just want to make gun owners look bad!" Good for her! Great wisdom for a 13 year old girl. She came home and made a t-shirt for herself that say, "Don't Blame the Guns!" We may have a future NRA member on our hands.
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