There are ways to force the media to tell the truth.

[George Dickel at Work]

All news programs, both radio and television, have commercial sponsors. Without sponsors their program does not make money for the station. Station management will dump a program or change the format to gain back their share of the listneing/viewing audience in order to keep sponsors. Sponsors can and do cause changes in programing. Most companies figure for every letter they receive, that reflects the attitude of a whole lot more people than just the one who wrote the letter. Write to the sponsor of the program if it is putting out information that is incorrect or biased. Writing to the station management or the president of the network will do no good. They will just dismiss you as some kind of radical, right wing religious gun carrying zealot. If the sponsor writes the station manager or president of the network, there will be change in that program. Look at what happened with K-Mart and Rosie O. You can find most company addresses on the internet, and a lot of them list their e-mail address. It's a good way to vent some anger at the place where it will have the most effect.

 

[bestdefense357]

This should be a good thread. Another way to influence the media is to go talk to the editor or producer of a newspaper or television show. A few weeks ago the local newspaper ran an editorial advocating the ban of all handguns. I wrote a response and took it to the editor. He met with me and I gave him a copy of my book and made him aware (in a nice, non-threatening way) that there are many more self-defeses with guns each year than there are deaths with guns. My article was published in the Sunday edition the following week, and the information I've receieved from my sources at the newspaper is that they were overwhelmed with letters supporting my article.

The key is to be as non-confrontational as possible yet be firm in your beliefs. Many times editors/producers have a lack of knowledge of the positive side of guns. It's up to us to both inform them and persuade them. I don't think you do that by ranting and raving--rather, a softer approach is usually best.

Robert

 

[Ned Roundtree]

I might try that. Our local newspaper is so liberal it makes you gag. They even have a policy of no handguns to be shown in advertisements. Lest someone see a photo of a handgun and go crazy from the mere sight. My club hosts the rifle and pistol portion of this state's annual games. Everything from track, swimming, horseback riding, archery and shooting sports. But shooting sports is lumped under "OTHER" and while results of all the state games are published in the newspaper. There are no other OTHERS. Just so they won't have to advertise shooting sports. No shooting sports results are ever published.

 

[Coinneach]

Guess I'm lucky. The editor of the local fishwrap is a small-L libertarian, and he attend the occasional Friends of Liberty meeting (C-Springs TFLers, it's at Baron's every Weds. night). Guns have their own section in the classifieds. Gun-related stories are written with a remarkable lack of emotionalism, i.e. "Two armed robbers held up Brand X Liquor and killed the store owner. They were apprehended two blocks away." No mention of assault-this or semiautomatic-that.

Compare and contrast with the Denver Post or Rocky Mountain News. The Post, a couple of weeks ago, ran a 3-day "exposé" on "THE GUN PIPELINE" on pages A1-A3. And we all know about RMN's yammering about the 16-year-old kid who bought a Glock for $100 and cocked the hammer on it.

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"The evils of tyranny are rarely seen but by him who resists it."
-- John Hay, 1872

 

[Oatka]

A tactic I have been using is to write the reporter and editor whenever a gun article is printed.

If it's pro-gun (see Great article! thread) I thank them for an even-handed report in the best tradition of journalism.

If it anti or slanted, I take polite pains to point out the errors and slip in a little pro-gun info related to the article.

On more than one occasion I have gotten a "You made my day" reply from the pro- or even-handed reporters. Nothing but silence from the antis -- but I comfort myself in the thought that at best I may have planted a seed, and at worst, let them know that not everyone is brainwashed.

Yeah, it takes a little time to ferret out the "contact us" button -- the liberal papers seem to hide theirs -- but it's like bread cast upon the waters. Hopefully it encourages the pros to continue and the antis to tone things down.

Ned, what is that liberal newspaper? I'd like to monitor them. email me if you'd like.

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The New World Order has a Third Reich odor.