Old saying in military intelligence -- "Once is error, twice is
coincidence, three times is enemy action [i.e., deliberate]."
People in the media continuously make this same "error." It's hard to
believe they could all by honestly mistaken (especially a local Alabama
reporter like the AP stringer in this case). In fact, having dealt with
them for over 30 years on the gun issue, I know that some reporters will
use distortions, even lies, in the pursuit of "advocacy journalism" even
on the "news" pages. I've had a reporter or two admit it on occasion.
Joe
>>> "Volokh, Eugene" 02/16/10 11:10 AM >>>
Iagree that the media often errs badly, especially about
guns but alsootherwise. Check out the Boston Globe article about
Bishop*s killing herbrother 24 years before: *the girl had fought
with her brother in the 1986incident, then shot him with a shotgun and
fled down the street with the riflein her hand.*
ButI wonder whether the error below is really part of a
deliberate campaign to lie(presumably in ways that make law-abiding gun
owners, and gun decontrol lawssuch as shall-issue, look bad). First,
I*d guess that the reporter was justbeing imprecise, and meant that
she had no concealed carry license. Second, Iassume that her lack of
license is good for gun-rights proponents,because it supports the view
that licenseholders are generally highlytrustworthy, and shall-issue
laws do not increase the rate of gun crime by gunowners. If she had a
concealed carry license, or if readers thought Alabamadidn*t require a
concealed carry license, that would fit the anti-carry argumentsof the
*you give people concealed carry licenses, they*ll start
carryingeverywhere, and if something happens to anger them, they*ll
shoot* variety. Soa technically accurate *Police have said Alabama law
does not require a permitfor the gun they believe she used in the campus
shooting* would have been worsefor the pro-gun-rights side. If the
reporter wanted to make law-abidinggun owners look bad, that*s what he
would have said; the sentence he used,while ambiguous, makes law-abiding
gun owners look good. Or am Imissing something?
Eugene
From:[email protected][mailto:[email protected]]
On Behalf Of Joseph E.Olson
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 8:55 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Media lies and distortions
"Police have said Bishop had no permitfor the gun they believe she used
in the campus shooting... ."
Every AP story on the Huntsville murders has contained the quoted
phrasenotwithstanding that she had no permit because ALABAMA REQUIRES NO
PERMIT topossess a firearm. It's classic example of media distortion.
Infederal Securities Law we call this lying by omission and if you do it
in astock report, you could get 10 years in federal prison plus a host
of civillawsuits.
If you're in the media, you'll be following the MSM "party line" andget
promoted. No wonder no one trusts reporters anymore.
ProfessorJoseph Olson, J.D., LL.M. o- 651-523-2142
Hamline University School of Law f- 651-523-2236
St. Paul, MN 55113-1235 c- 612-865-7956
[email protected]
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