by We as gun owners need to stop seeing the media as a monolithic entity and, more importantly, always assuming that they are against us.
There is the elite media consisting of the networks, the cable news channels, and the major urban daily newspapers. Then there are local TV and radio stations along with the hometown newspapers. While the former is full of those who wish our Second Amendment rights were curtailed, the same can’t be said for the latter.
The local media is always on the lookout for a good story and they can be cultivated. If they say something stupid on the air about guns, it is most likely out of youthful ignorance rather than malice. Rather than jumping down their throats when they say the stupid stuff, seek to educate them. The results can be worthwhile.
A case in point. Sean Sorrentino of An NC Gun Blog has become friends with NBC-17 Raleigh’s Jackie Faye. After he did a blog post last week on the increase in Concealed Handgun Permits in North Carolina, he sent it along to her. The result was the on-camera story below.
I think Ms. Faye did a very fair story on the topic. If Sean hadn’t established a relationship with her earlier, the story about the double digit growth in Concealed Handgun Permits probably would not have been aired.
Thanks are due to Sean for taking the time to build that relationship with a local reporter. More stories like this one is what it will take to re-normalize firearms in American society.