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http://www.mrc.org/news/reality/2000/Fax20000106.html

New Two-Year MRC Study Found Pro-Gun Themes and Arguments Are Unwelcome =
On the Air=20
Where Are Gun Rights Themes on TV?=20

In a new two-year Media Research Center study of TV gun-policy stories, =
Senior Analyst Geoffrey Dickens has found a dramatic network news tilt =
in favor of gun control. [See box.] Dickens also found that not only do =
most stories lean to the left for more gun regulation, the themes =
gun-rights advocates would like to see included in TV news reports are =
seldom mentioned. For example:=20
1. Increase prosecutions against criminals using firearms. The National =
Rifle Association argues that federal prosecutions of gun law violations =
have dropped significantly since 1992. In recent ads, the NRA has cited =
a Syracuse University study that there has been a 46 percent drop in =
prosecutions of the criminal use of firearms from 1992 to 1998. While =
NRA spokesmen invited on as guests made this point, TV reporters and =
interviewers cited the Clinton administration's failure to prosecute =
criminals just eight times.=20

2. When the program Project Exile increased gun prosecutions in =
Richmond, shootings were reduced. Reporters, for the most part, ignored =
one program that has successfully reduced shootings. Project Exile in =
Richmond, Virginia was noted a mere three times. According to the NRA, =
Project Exile "adopts a zero-tolerance for federal gun crimes, with =
federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutors working =
hand-in-hand to prosecute each and every federal firearms violation." =
Once the program was implemented, the NRA found "the city's homicides =
were cut nearly one-third, the lowest number since 1987." The only =
mentions of Project Exile came once on NBC Nightly News and twice on =
ABC's World News Tonight. CBS aired nothing. CNN's The World Today never =
covered Project Exile, but did find time to highlight a guns for Beanie =
Babies exchange program in Illinois (April 27, 1998).=20

3. Millions of people use guns every year in self-defense. In 1997, =
criminologist Gary Kleck estimated that over 2.5 million people a year =
defend themselves from an assailant or burglar by exercising their =
constitutional right to bear arms. Yet how many times did television =
networks report such acts? In the past two years, out of 653 gun policy =
stories, exactly 12 times. =20

By making a blockbuster story out of several school shootings -- while =
leaving out the millions of times citizens stop crime each year -- the =
networks present a very misleading picture to the average viewer that =
firearm use brings more harm than good, and thus should be limited or =
even banned.=20

NBC mentioned self-defense in a positive light in a November 10, 1998 =
NBC Nightly News story on how "these continuing threats against =
[abortion] doctors in America have forced many to go to extreme lengths =
to protect themselves."=20

4. Current gun laws didn't stop shootings. Gun rights advocates argue =
that the utility of passing yet another gun law is questionable when the =
ones currently on the books didn't prevent any of the shootings. This =
point was made on just five separate occasions, all in the first half of =
1999. On NBC, it was mentioned on the April 22 and 23 Today shows and =
the April 23 Nightly News. There was a brief mention on the April 21 =
edition of Good Morning America and the June 6 The World Today on CNN. =
CBS never touched it. -- Tim Graham




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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.mrc.org/news/reality/2000/Fax20000106.html">http://www=
.mrc.org/news/reality/2000/Fax20000106.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><EM>New Two-Year MRC Study Found Pro-Gun Themes and Arguments Are =
Unwelcome=20
On the Air </EM></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4><STRONG>Where Are Gun Rights Themes on TV?=20
</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>In a new two-year Media Research Center study of TV gun-policy =
stories,=20
Senior Analyst Geoffrey Dickens has found a dramatic network news tilt =
in favor=20
of gun control. [See box.] Dickens also found that not only do most =
stories lean=20
to the left for more gun regulation, the themes gun-rights advocates =
would like=20
to see included in TV news reports are seldom mentioned. For example:=20
<P><STRONG>1. Increase prosecutions against criminals using =
firearms</STRONG>.=20
The National Rifle Association argues that federal prosecutions of gun =
law=20
violations have dropped significantly since 1992. In recent ads, the NRA =
has=20
cited a Syracuse University study that there has been a 46 percent drop =
in=20
prosecutions of the criminal use of firearms from 1992 to 1998. While =
NRA=20
spokesmen invited on as guests made this point, TV reporters and =
interviewers=20
cited the Clinton administration's failure to prosecute criminals just =
eight=20
times. </P>
<P><STRONG>2. When the program Project Exile increased gun prosecutions =
in=20
Richmond, shootings were reduced</STRONG>. Reporters, for the most part, =
ignored=20
one program that has successfully reduced shootings. Project Exile in =
Richmond,=20
Virginia was noted a mere three times. According to the NRA, Project =
Exile=20
"adopts a zero-tolerance for federal gun crimes, with federal, state and =
local=20
law enforcement and prosecutors working hand-in-hand to prosecute each =
and every=20
federal firearms violation." Once the program was implemented, the NRA =
found=20
"the city's homicides were cut nearly one-third, the lowest number since =
1987."=20
The only mentions of Project Exile came once on NBC Nightly News and =
twice on=20
ABC's World News Tonight. CBS aired nothing. CNN's The World Today never =
covered=20
Project Exile, but did find time to highlight a guns for Beanie Babies =
exchange=20
program in Illinois (April 27, 1998). </P>
<P><STRONG>3. Millions of people use guns every year in =
self-defense</STRONG>.=20
In 1997, criminologist Gary Kleck estimated that over 2.5 million people =
a year=20
defend themselves from an assailant or burglar by exercising their=20
constitutional right to bear arms. Yet how many times did television =
networks=20
report such acts? In the past two years, out of 653 gun policy stories, =
exactly=20
12 times.&nbsp; </P>
<P>By making a blockbuster story out of several school shootings -- =
while=20
leaving out the millions of times citizens stop crime each year -- the =
networks=20
present a very misleading picture to the average viewer that firearm use =
brings=20
more harm than good, and thus should be limited or even banned. </P>
<P>NBC mentioned self-defense in a positive light in a November 10, 1998 =
NBC=20
Nightly News story on how "these continuing threats against [abortion] =
doctors=20
in America have forced many to go to extreme lengths to protect =
themselves."=20
</P>
<P><STRONG>4. Current gun laws didn't stop shootings</STRONG>. Gun =
rights=20
advocates argue that the utility of passing yet another gun law is =
questionable=20
when the ones currently on the books didn't prevent any of the =
shootings. This=20
point was made on just five separate occasions, all in the first half of =
1999.=20
On NBC, it was mentioned on the April 22 and 23 Today shows and the =
April 23=20
Nightly News. There was a brief mention on the April 21 edition of Good =
Morning=20
America and the June 6 The World Today on CNN. CBS never touched it. -- =
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.mrc.org/bio/news/graham.html">Tim Graham</A></P>
<P>&nbsp;</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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