USA Today "Sanitizes" Story

[bowfin]

I am sure many of you have heard the news story in which a man stabbed eight coworkers in a supermarket.

What I am not sure about is "which" ending you have heard from your particular news source.

Here is one ending:

...Ingram, chasing one victim into the store's parking lot, was subdued by Chris Cope, manager of a financial services office in the same small shopping center, Memphis Police Sgt. Vince Higgins said.
Cope said he grabbed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol from his pickup truck when he saw the attacker chasing the victim "like something in a serial killer movie."
"When he turned around and saw my pistol, he threw the knife away, put his hands up and got on the ground," Cope told The Associated Press. "He saw my gun and that was pretty much it."

Higgins said police were pulling into the parking lot as Cope was confronting Ingram.
"We commend him," Higgins said. "But we don't encourage people to take that kind of risk. He could have been hurt."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4064673.html

Okay, here is the USA Today's version:

The suspect was tackled by a witness as he tried to run from the building and was held until officers arrived, (Memphis Police Sgt. Vince) Higgins said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-07-21-schnucks_x.htm

Besides the fact Sgt. Higgins is more concerned that the guy with the 9mm might be in more danger than the unarmed person being chased in parking lot , why do you suppose we have two different happy endings?

I have checked many other news sources, and they are split on which version they use.

 

[Zundfolge]

USA Today is a tabloid. Don't let their coverage of anything give you heartburn (any more than The Sun's assertion that Jesus will be returning next Thursday).


Every other piece of coverage of this story (FoxNews, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, New York Times, etc) has surprised me and flatly stated that the assailant was subdued by a "man with a gun".


Not a big "we are winning" beacon, but a pleasant surprise none the less.

 

[Kim]

Paging Bernie Goldberg, Paging Bernie Goldberg!!!!! Just another sample of liberal bias. Just like the shooting at the Virginia Institute he wrote about in his book "BIAS". They will never change their liberal bias on social issues. :banghead: :banghead: Oh NO cherp in the liberals and MSM reporters "Not US' why we are great journalists and we NEVER lie we just give you the news as WE see it and all that is fit to print says the old gray hag.

 

[Hypnogator]

USA Today "Sanitizes" Story

And this surprises you because..... :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Sent this e-mail to USA Today. Doubt it will help.

Accuracy Ombudsman:

Your story, entitled "Eight Stabbed in Store near Memphis" contained a glaring inaccuracy. In your story, you reported, "The suspect was tackled by a witness as he tried to run from the building and was held until officers arrived, Higgins said."

This is not factually accurate. Here's what another news source reported about the incident: "...Ingram, chasing one victim into the store's parking lot, was subdued by Chris Cope, manager of a financial services office in the same small shopping center, Memphis Police Sgt. Vince Higgins said. Cope said he grabbed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol from his pickup truck when he saw the attacker chasing the victim "like something in a serial killer movie." "When he turned around and saw my pistol, he threw the knife away, put his hands up and got on the ground," Cope told The Associated Press. "He saw my gun and that was pretty much it." Higgins said police were pulling into the parking lot as Cope was confronting Ingram. "We commend him," Higgins said. "But we don't encourage people to take that kind of risk. He could have been hurt."

It has long been an article of faith that news organizations deliberately suppress news stories about citizens using firearms to prevent or terminate violent crimes. It is difficult to understand how a police source could be misquoted to factually misrepresent what happened in this incident unless it was done on purpose. You owe your readers a correction. And an explanation.

Gary L. Griffiths

 

[squarooticus]

USA Today is a tabloid.

I like what Jay Severin calls USA Today: "McPaper". Sums it up rather nicely.

Kyle

 

[Kharn]

How I wish the Wall Street Journal was provided free-of-charge at every hotel instead of USA Today. :banghead:

Kharn

 

[ChestyP]

Media coverage of the Appalachia Law School

shooting was much more biased. Only a couple of more than hundreds of publiched stories carried the fact that the shooter was stopped by armed students. The fact that at least one of the armed students was an LEO is irrelevant... the point is that the best counter to an armed criminal is an armed citizen.

We hear the term "first responder" used quite frequently in reference to LEOs/firefighters/EMTs. That's a misnomer. Generally they're SECOND responders. The first responder is the citizen on the scene with a cell phone, first aid training, or in some cases -- a firearm. They're the ones who are in a position to take immediate action long before the uniformed guys (and ladies) arrive.

 

[Hypnogator]

In the FWIW department, got a response back from the USA Today editor:

Thank you for your recent letter to USA TODAY. I have shared your
comments with the appropriate assignment desk. An editor will be in
contact if a more specific response is warranted.

Your interest in USA TODAY is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Brent Jones
Reader Editor

I'm not holding my breath.

 

[geekWithA.45]

"On the RKBA issue, the media has chosen sides. It's not ours".

USA Today = McNews at its worst.

 

[mountainclmbr]

USA Today is Workers McWorld McDaily.

 

[Gunstore Commando]

Every other piece of coverage of this story (FoxNews, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, New York Times, etc) has surprised me and flatly stated that the assailant was subdued by a "man with a gun".

Minneapolis Star-Tribune didn't mention the gun at all.

Imagine my surprise.

 

[FTF]

Looks like USA today finally broke to the pressure of fact vs fiction

Cope said he grabbed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol from his pickup when he saw the attacker chasing the victim "like something in a serial killer movie."

"When he turned around and saw my pistol, he threw the knife away, put his hands up and got on the ground," Cope told The Associated Press. "He saw my gun and that was pretty much it."


http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-07-22-grocery-store-stabbing_x.htm

 

[Hypnogator]

Well, whaddya know? I'd like to think I can take at least some of the credit for holding their feet to the fire.

 

[the 22 junkie]

Good job man! Kind of ironic his name was "Ingram" though, eh?