Exploiting Mass Murder by Dr. Michael S. Brown

Exploiting Mass Murder
by Dr. Michael S. Brown
October 2002 gave the battered anti-gun lobby what it desperately needed: a
high-profile mass murderer who used a firearm. It has been over three years
since the lobby’s last big public relations victory at Columbine, but time
has not changed the way these rare incidents are covered and exploited.
There is an old saying that journalists know nothing about guns and don’t
want to learn. This was reaffirmed by last week’s saturation coverage from
the Washington suburbs that was loaded with firearms myths and
misinformation. I used to enjoy a derisive laugh at reporters like the CNN
anchor who used the nonsense term “high-powered assault hunting-type
weapon,” but now I just feel embarrassed for them and quickly change the
channel. Many news outlets exposed their anti-gun roots when their initial
slant on the story focused on the type of rifle and ammunition used by the
killer. In their rush to instill fear in the audience, they implied that the
rifle was some kind of super weapon, when in reality it is much less
powerful than most common hunting rifles. Close-ups and graphics invariably
left viewers with the impression that the .223 cartridges are much larger
than they actually are. A real sniper would not be interested in such an
anemic cartridge.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/10/19/230622.shtml