Reporters and guns

[Harley Ruger]

I'm always amazed at the mis-information put out there by news reporters everytime there is a tragedy, such as the Navy Yard shooting.
I heard a Fox reporter telling her "anchor" the shooter had to be using an AR type rifle, because she was told he was shooting in 3-shot burst, and that's the way AR's work. Now we know he was using a shotgun at first, and a semi-auto handgun taken from a security guard he shot. I guess she doesn't know any semi-auto can be shot rapidly, in 3-shot burst, whether it's a shotgun, rifle, or pistol.
They always jump to AR15's as the weapon, long before anyone really knows.
Another CNN reporter "anchor" commented to the reporter at the scene that she couldn't imagine this could ever happen, after all, it's a secure military base. Guess she never heard of a base in Texas called Fort Hood !
They think any AR type is fully auto, and any long gun is a rifle. I doubt if you had a revolver, and a 1911 on a table in front of most any reporter that they could tell you which was which. The same would apply if one was a semi-auto shotgun and one a bolt action rifle.

 

[buckey01]

It is true that reporters are stupid and uninformed about virtually everything, except politically correct (ignorant) indoctrination. Ignorance about guns Is very obvious to people on this forum; but reporter's ignorance is far more wide-ranging than that. Most know nothing about our system of government, history, economics, literature, agriculture, or science. Of course this ignorance just qualifies them as typical Americans. One thing that particularly irritates me as a pilot is their unqualified colossal ignorance about aircraft and flying. I could tolerate their ignorance; except for when they go before the cameras and pretend to have some degree of expertise.

 

[fuhr52]

Reporters rarely have much knowledge of the news they report. If it sounds good them it works. An AR type rifle, that could be any semi-auto rifle. Three shot burst, that would be one trigger pull. An AR would take three trigger pulls to fire three shots. An uninformed reporter wouldn't know that. Accuracy isn't required when reporting the news.

 

[buckey01]

Surprisingly, there was once a time when accuracy was important, although mistakes were always possible. Now with the internet and all of the wonderful electronic tools at their disposal, there is no longer any excuse for such stupidity. We no longer have reporters. Those on camera are simply photogenic news readers. We now live in a society where ignorance has become a virtue.

 

[sdprof]

Remember, all most journalists know about guns is this:

 

[Burtboomer]

Seems when it comes to politics or guns the media will report what helps there agenda.For most of them the truth is a nuisance to them you know kinda like common sense.:sarcastic:

 

[3gunshooter]

They target the low info viewer.

 

[Pir8fan]

Journalists are about the dumbest form of life ther is, ahead of only politicians. They don't care about accuracy. They only care about their agenda and ratings.

 

[farsidefan1]

I had to laugh as I was reading one of the Jack Reacher novels.Actually 2 of them. The author is a Britt. and an excellent writer however every now and then his "Brittness" shows in his stories. In one the bad guy is pointing his glock at Reacher and Reacher knows the bad guy is about to shoot because he clicked off the safety. On a glock?????? Ok, the other book involved describes the killing power of a shotgun. Child (the author) talks about how it kills over a huge area, so much so that the bad guy has only to fire between to widely separated individuals (Reacher and a lady shoveling counterfeit money) to kill them both with one shot. I laughed my butt off.

I love the books but clearly he has some HUGE holes in his personal knowledge of firearms. From the stories he must have editors and expert advice but now and then he clearly forgets to have them check his work. I overlook these glitches because I enjoy his writing but seriously? The media compares quite closely to writers of fiction. A very close comparison.

At least Child knows he is writing fiction. Funny that our real newsfolk are equally inaccurate.

 

[Warrior1256]

Politicians are just as bad! They spout off such nonsense about firearms and ammo that it is obvious that they know practically nothing about either. Remember Feinstein and her "imploding" bullets? Just one of many examples.

 

[subvet69]

The media all wear these.

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