Two news videos about increased gun sales, one shows media bias and one doesn't.

[spin]

First, the balanced video from Bill Jackson's "Store in the Woods" which was featured n a Visa commercial a few years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V71Do4Fj8XU

This local news report just covers the facts without any bias. (Note: Bill Jackson's store also sells outdoor sporting equipment for skiing, scuba diving, fishing etc. It also has a indoor pistol range, an indoor snow ski deck and an indoor pool for scuba classes. Not your average gun store.)

Second, a video from CBS Evening News:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4751393n

While this report discusses the same story, notice that three weapons were shown being fired. Two are full auto, one is semi-auto. This report would leave the viewer with the impression that people were racing out to their local gun stores to purchase full auto weapons. True fully automatic weapons are tightly regulated and are not part of the increase in gun sales.

Is it any wonder that many people who are unfamiliar with firearms would feel that the firearms currently being purchased have no legitimate reason to be in civilian hands? Obviously the weapons shown being fired would have little use for hunting or serious target shooting.

It's hard for me to be convinced that the producers of the CBS report were unaware of the difference between semi-auto and full auto weapons.

[X_Digger]

1. And of course..

They had to find the minority gun owner who's preparing for the 'When the Shit Hits the Fan' scenario. Just like the aftermath of a tornado / shooting / car wreck has to include the white trash man with no shirt or a wife beater, with a beer in his hand and 1 tooth in his head. *sigh*

[rangersmith82]

2. The people at CBS are retards

And then they hired that stupid Katie Couric who is a utter fool!!!!

[spin]

3. Katie struck me as a lightweight, so I only watch CBS news...

when nothing important is happening.

[gorfle]

4. I agree

I don't know what the point was of showing people shooting machine guns, other than to give the impression that these were the kinds of weapons being purchased in this surge of firearm sales.

[spin]

5. It's very rare to see positive news reports...

about firearms on national news. Since the major news outlets operate out of very liberal anti-gun cities, this is not so surprising.

Most of the positive news abut firearms seems to promote hunting and not self-defense. When you do see a news video about concealed carry or other pro-gun laws, it always seems to deal with some state that's about to pass a new pro-gun law. It seems almost obligatory that the media will say that blood will flow in the streets and the state will suddenly turn into the "Wild West".

After the law passes, you never hear any reports about how the law surprisingly worked out well.

I've noticed that before the election the news media was more than fair to Obama. Now that he is office, I'm seeing a change in the news reports. I worry that if he is unable to resolve all of our problems in six months, the media will turn on him like a pack of rabid dogs.

I guess the bottom line for the news media is profit and bad news increases ratings more than good news.

[guntard]

6. Reagan Gun Ban

True fully automatic weapons are tightly regulated and are not part of the increase in gun sales.

Just to clarify, for DUers who aren't aware, the manufacture and import of full autos for sale to civilians was banned in 1986, so there have been NO sales of new full auto weapons to civilians in over 20 years.

All the legal full auto weapons in circulation were manufactured prior to the Reagan Gun Ban.

Any guess as to whether CBS news is aware of this? The for sure did not see any customers buying new full auto firearms at that sporting goods store.

[tburnsten]

9. Good catch, sometimes we forget

that not everyone knows the backstory behind full auto weapons and why exactly no laws like the 1994 AWB or the proposed newer AWBs have absolutely nothing to do with them.

[rrneck]

7. It looks like CBS

hired Bill O'reilly's graphics people to tart it up for them. Is this the news or a friggin' video game?

[slackmaster]

8. That goes beyond bias

It's dishonest.

[michreject]

10. That 2nd video is designed to mislead

No wonder people have a hard time trusting the media. Paul Helmke was lying.

[SteveM]

11. CBS knows they are conflating semi-auto with full-auto. Done it for years. (nt)