The Democrats are determined to make the issue of gun control a presidential campaign issue, according to The Washington Post. And they already have the help of the news media.
Although the broadcast network evening shows said nothing about gun control immediately following the first Republican presidential debate, the Oregon community college shooting on Oct. 1, changed the media’s agenda. It also changed the agenda for the liberals running for the Democratic nomination.
Between Oct. 1 and Oct. 20, ABC, NBC, and CBS have collectively mentioned “gun control” in 16 evening news stories. Additional stories that promoted gun control without using the phrase were not counted. Of the people the evening shows included in those reports, 15 individuals’ remarks opposed gun control and 20 individuals’ favored it. That’s 33 percent more proponents of gun control.
Although 33 percent more may not seem like much, 68 percent (11 of 16) of the broadcast networks stories were slanted in favor of more gun control either by carefully framing comments to support gun control, through direct criticism of anti-gun control comments, or by choosing very extreme supporters of gun rights. CBS even created a new recurring series, “Voices Against Violence,” in the wake of the Umpqua Community College tragedy.
One of CBS’s biased reports was on the day of the Oregon shooting, Oct. 1. Evening News immediately broached the gun control subject with a 2 minute, 4 second segment focusing solely on the past attempts to increase gun control in the US. CBS national correspondent Jim Axelrod emotionally recounted one response to the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting.
“Outside the [congressional] chambers stood survivors of the victims hoping their grief would sway the vote. Inside, Congress said no. Since then we’ve seen a 142 shootings on school properties,” Axelrod said.
Axelrod continued, “So tonight, Americans are wondering what may come out of another massacre. Shock, horror, sadness? Sure. but chances are, if recent history is any guide, you won’t see change on that list.”
Other media outlets have also taken up the issue. The Oct. 19, edition of Bloomberg Businessweek included a tutorial for the left about how to achieve stricter gun control (it was the cover story). The business magazine aimed its story at Democrats trying the wrong strategies such as directly attacking the National Rifle Association as Hillary Clinton and Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland had done.
Democrats Who Focus on Gun Control Earn Network Praise, Conservatives Receive Criticism
Change on the issue of gun control is precisely what liberals like presidential candidate Hillary Clinton have said they want. The networks’ slanted coverage gave them a boost.
The Washington Post highlighted the Democrat’s change of behavior on gun control from “hesitation” to a “dominant issue for the national election.”
The Oct. 14, front page story emphasized remarks made during the Democratic presidential debate and concluded that the candidates “seemed not merely willing but determined and eager to lead the push for gun control into next year’s general election and effectively declared war on the National Rifle Association.”
The Post included Clinton’s statement, “This has gone on too long, and it’s time the entire country stood up against the NRA.”
The evening news shows have helped with the Democrats’ narrative on guns.
On Oct. 2, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt began a story about the Oregon shooting with the jarring statistic that, “by the end of this broadcast, two more people will have been shot and killed in this country.” Although certainly horrifying, that CDC statistic was broader than the topic being discussed It represented all deaths that involve a gun, including suicides. It was not specific to killing sprees such as the one that took place in Oregon.
ABC’s treatment of gun control worked hand in hand with its bias in favor of liberal political candidates. On Oct. 5, ABC senior national correspondent Cecilia Vega gushed that Hillary Clinton was becoming “emotional talking about gun violence” and that she was “vowing to use executive authority if she had to.” Her story about Clinton’s new gun control plan was reported uncritically. Vega even included a portion of Clinton’s appearance on Saturday Night Live.
In contrast, Vega was critical of Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson’s statements on the Oregon shooting and about gun control the very next day. When Carson criticized Obama’s use of the Oregon shooting to push gun control, she claimed that Carson was, “bashing President Obama’s plan to visit the victims.” Vega also included a rebuttal against Carson in that report, from none other than Clinton herself.
“Ben Carson [is] accusing Hillary Clinton and President Obama of playing politics with these mass shootings. But, David, tonight it is Ben Carson who is making headlines on that very topic.” Vega said.
NBC as well, praised Clinton and described a GOP presidential candidate’s “gaffe.” Lester Holt gushed on Oct. 5, “On the campaign trail today, Hillary Clinton appeared to have new wind in her sails given--given an opening after a political gaffe by a top Republican.”
The “gaffe,” as Holt referred to it, was actually a quote from presidential candidate Jeb Bush which was used out of context to make him appear insensitive.
When covering Obama’s visit to Oregon on Oct. 9, CBS Evening News made gun rights advocates look like wacko extremists by featuring the most radical voices and portraying them as the norm. In that report, CBS news correspondent John Blackstone asked one woman whether someone with mental problems should be able to have a gun.
“Yes. Everybody can have a gun to defend themselves,” she told Blackstone.
Blackstone also referred to the gun control opponents as “protesters,” saying they came to the Roseburg airports carrying, “both signs and guns--a potential nightmare for the Secret Service.”
Blackstone eventually acknowledged the president’s motorcade was unhindered “in spite of suggestions that demonstrators would try to block roads.”
CBS Creates Special Series Dedicated to Gun Violence
In response to the Oregon shooting, CBS began a new series called “Voices Against Violence” as part of their Evening News programming. The series, which began Oct. 2, asked “what to do about gun violence” and claimed to feature “all sides of the issue,” according to CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley. Not all of the segments used the phrase “gun control” even when the voices were clearly focused on the topic.
But, so far, those voices have favored greater restrictions on gun ownership. To date, there have been four installments featuring six voices. Only one of those voices explicitly opposed increased gun control, while two argued in favor of it.
Sheriff David Clarke of Milwaukee, Wis. argued that the only way to “reduce the likelihood of this mass carnage is to get rid of these gun-free zones.” Attackers are attracted to gun-free zones because they know they will be initially unopposed in their attack, Clarke said.
Calvin Butts, the pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church of New York, and Andy Parker, the father of WDBJ reporter Allison Parker who was shot while reporting, were both highly in favor of increased gun control and regulation.
Kelly Posner, the founder of Suicide Center at Columbia University, and former congressman Patrick Kennedy argued that suicide prevention and mental health care were the key to preventing mass shootings. Neither took a position on gun control.
“Voices Against Violence” also featured the father of a baby girl who was shot in Cleveland, but he did not propose any ideas for reducing gun violence.
The media’s effort to promote calls for gun control as a reaction to a shooting was not new or surprising. In July 2015, CNN rushed to call for gun control after the deadly movie theater shooting in Lafayette, Louisiana. ABC and NBC had a similar reaction after the tragic shooting of two journalists in Roanoke, Va. in August 2015.
Methodology:
MRC Business searched for the phrase “gun control” on ABC, NBC, and CBS evening news shows between Oct. 1 and Oct. 20, 2015. Each person who did not work for that network was considered an interviewee and their remarks were examined to see if they were used to argue for or against gun control. In addition to the people who were for or against gun control, MRC found 11 interviewees whose remarks were either neutral or irrelevant to gun control.
