Tuesday was marked by multiple tragedies, between the package bombings in and around Austin, Texas and a school shooting in Great Mills, Maryland. ABC didn’t seem to want a good tragedy to go to waste, so their evening news broadcast used a portion of their school shooting coverage to promote a gun control march, which was planned to take place in Washington, D.C. later in the week.
“The school shooting comes during a national call to action to make schools safer, and days before thousands are expected in Washington, D.C., for the March for Our Lives rally, in response to the Parkland, Florida school massacre,” hyped reporter Kenneth Moton during World News Tonight.
As the broadcast returned to live, after Moton’s video report, anchor David Muir touted how “Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was grilled on Capitol Hill today about those school shootings” by Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan (Wisc.).
“She was asked if she would meet with the students from Parkland, when they come to Washington in the coming days to march as you just mentioned,” Muir explained as a video clip of the unnecessarily combative exchange began to play:
MARK POCAN: Would you be willing to meet with the Parkland students? We’ll be glad to facilitate a meeting.
BETSY DEVOS: I look forward to meeting with Parkland students. I have actually talked with a few of them about meeting them in Parkland at a time that is workable for both of us.
POCAN: Are you available this Friday to meet with them when they're in town?
DEVOS: I don't know. I can't say right now what my schedule is.
POCAN: If we just follow up with that, we would certainly appreciate it.
After the clip, Muir prompted Moton to talk about how some the Maryland student would be taking part in the anti-gun protest. “David, we expect several students from this school will attend. It was just a week ago when they joined other young people from across the country for national school walkout, calling for stricter gun control laws,” the reporter obliged.
Interestingly enough, neither of ABC’s networks competitors (CBS and NBC) mentioned the upcoming D.C. gathering in their own evening reports on the shooting. Although, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt did note that the Maryland school did participate in the nationwide gun control walkout protest last week.
Transcript below, click expand to read:
ABC
World News Tonight
March 20, 2018
6:34:28 PM Eastern(…)
SUPERINTENDENT J. SCOTT SMITH: If you don't think this can’t happen at your school, you are sadly mistaken.
KENNETH MOTON: The school shooting comes during a national call to action to make schools safer, and days before thousands are expected in Washington, D.C., for the March for Our Lives rally, in response to the Parkland, Florida school massacre.
[Cuts back to live]
DAVID MUIR: And Kenneth Moton joins us live from the scene. And Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was grilled on Capitol Hill today about those school shootings. She was asked if she would meet with the students from Parkland, when they come to Washington in the coming days to march as you just mentioned. And here's what she said:
[Cuts to video]
MARK POCAN: Would you be willing to meet with the Parkland students? We’ll be glad to facilitate a meeting.
BETSY DEVOS: I look forward to meeting with Parkland students. I have actually talked with a few of them about meeting them in Parkland at a time that is workable for both of us.
POCAN: Are you available this Friday to meet with them when they're in town?
DEVOS: I don't know. I can't say right now what my schedule is.
POCAN: If we just follow up with that, we would certainly appreciate it.
[Cuts back to live]
MUIR: Kenneth, you are also hearing that some of the students, right at that Maryland school behind you, will be marching, as well?
MOTON: David, we expect several students from this school will attend. It was just a week ago when they joined other young people from across the country for national school walkout, calling for stricter gun control laws. As for the shooting here this morning, we do know that local and federal law enforcement are still trying to figure out the gunman's motive. David?
