Ohio Gun Show Not Changing the Way it Does Business
Posted by FirearmsTruth on November 2, 2009 · Leave a Comment
One Ohio gun show promoter isn’t changing the way her shows are run, but this is a great example of how the media often slants a particular story – notably when firearms are mentioned.
First, consider the slightly anti-gun tone from Fox8.com. Not only does this article lack any specific quotes, it actually calls out the fact that the Westland Mall Gun Show was one of seven such events that were targeted by New York City’s overzealous Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The most telling statement however is the lead sentence, which clearly places the blame on the promoter:
“A Columbus gun show says it’s not changing its policies despite being cited in a sting operation that found loose adherence to background check procedures.”
Contrast to this to a more even-handed treatment from The Columbus Dispatch, which actually took the time to interview various parties. Even the headline and deck (the sub-headline), are less biased:
“Status quo at Westland gun show
Promoter dismisses N.Y. mayor’s probe of sales as a stunt ”
But most surprisingly of all is the fact that The Middletown Journal ran a story an Associated Press story that we found to be very fair. Finally some fair reporting from the AP.
Yet, take another look at the top story from Fox8.com again. It is actually a stripped down version of the AP coverage. This just shows the games that even local media can do to “alter” coverage to fit their particular bias.
