Over The Top Reporting on Firearms from WTOP

We couldn’t resist that headline, because frankly the reporting at WTOP from Washington, D.C. seems to fit the call letters and is actually quite over the top. Consider these passages when reporting about the ongoing Gilbert Arenas:

1. As a grand jury continues to hear the details of the gun incident involving Gilbert Arenas, WTOP has learned the Washington Wizards’ star has — at times — owned several hundred guns.
2. By all accounts, the guns in Arenas’ collection were legally owned, yet it’s unclear how many he actually owned or still owns.
3. The guns turned over to police include a so-called ‘Dirty Harry Revolver’ and a gold-plated Desert Eagle — which is so big and has such a powerful recoil — no law enforcement agency uses them.

OK, so if he actually owned them legally… why does it matter that he owned several hundred? Well, consider that this story was probably originally a piece for TV where a deep voice read out the words, “owned several hundred guns” for full effect. Likewise, the later usage of “no law enforcement agency uses them” has the same over the top style that “action news” just loves! This adds drama, where drama isn’t really needed. Isn’t it enough an under educated millionaire who is good playing with a ball draws a gun on another human being over gambling debts?

As for “no law enforcement uses them,” well what’s the point? No law enforcement uses .22 hunting rifles in all probability so what does this prove?

Apparently not for WTOP, so instead the story adds a clear anti-gun bias to the mix for good measure.