Mainstream media outlets and commentators have had several embarrassing moments in their coverage of the mass shooting in Las Vegas Sunday.
1. CBS Executive ‘Not Even Sympathetic’ For Republican Country Music Fans
CBS executive Hayley Geftman-Gold wrote on Facebook that she doesn’t have sympathy for the victims of the shooting in Las Vegas because the shooting, which occurred at a country music festival, likely killed mostly Republicans.
“If they wouldn’t do anything when children were murdered I have no hope that Repugs will ever do the right thing. I’m actually not even sympathetic bc country music fans often are Republican gun toters,” she said on Facebook. (RELATED: CBS Legal Exec: No Sympathy For Vegas ‘Because Country Music Fans Often Are Republican’)
Geftman-Gold was later fired by CBS, with the network telling The Daily Caller News Foundation, “This individual, who was with us for approximately one year, violated the standards of our company and is no longer an employee of CBS. Her views as expressed on social media are deeply unacceptable to all of us at CBS. Our hearts go out to the victims in Las Vegas and their families.” (RELATED: CBS Legal Exec Fired For Vegas Shooting Hot Take)
2. Media Immediately Politicizes Shooting To Push For Gun Control
A number of media outlets took to immediately politicizing the Las Vegas shooting, using it to push for expanded gun control measures.
One favorite target was the National Rifle Association (NRA), which many accuse of having control over the Republican Party. Piers Morgan called the group a “vile organization with a sinister, deadly grip on America’s lawmakers.” (RELATED: All-Out War Against The NRA Begins After Las Vegas Massacre)
Keith Olbermann said the NRA needed to be ended, and a number of Democrats also used the Vegas shooting to attack the organization.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Kimmel told gun “nuts” that they “bear some responsibility” for the Vegas shooting.
Fox News’ Hannity slammed the media for its immediate politicization, slamming the left and the media for its, “impulse to politicize this tragedy, as they do other tragedies,” as “beyond the pale.” The FNC host played a clip of mainstream media commentators politicizing the tragedy last week.
WATCH:
“They are using this tragedy. Why? To score cheap political points and to push a gun control agenda.” (RELATED: Rush: The Left Is Already Politicizing Las Vegas Shooting)
3. MSNBC, CNN Show Complete Lack Of Knowledge About Guns
Several incidents of media coverage revealed that many in the media have almost no knowledge of guns or ammo.
WATCH:
MSNBC reported false information about firearm suppressors, incorrectly saying that they can, “effectively silence” a weapon. (RELATED: MSNBC Spreads Fake News About Firearm Suppressors [VIDEO])
Joe Scarborough also piled on, saying that gun manufacturers make money off mass shootings. And a MSNBC panelist puzzlingly claimed that hunters use suppressors when they’re hunting deer so the prey can’t hear them (RELATED: MSNBC Guest: Hunters Use Suppressors So Deer Can’t Hear Them [VIDEO])
CNN’s John Berman falsely stated that bump stock will turn semi-automatic weapons into “machine guns.” (RELATED: CNN Anchor: Bump Stock Turns Semi-Autos ‘Into Machine Guns’ [VIDEO])
Chris Cuomo joined in with the bump stocks fake news, saying, “you can buy something that is legal to change semi-automatic to automatic.”
4. Media Commentators Go Off On White Mass Shooters–But Whites Commit Less Mass Shootings Per Capita
A number of journalists and media figures pointed the finger at white Americans after the Las Vegas shooting, insisting that they were uniquely to blame for mass shootings.
Feministing editor Mahroh Jahangiri tweeted, “white men are terrorists.white men are terrorists.white men are terrorists.white men are terrorists.whites are the biggest terrorists #vegas.”
Writer Charles Clymer tweeted, “If we were going by Republican logic, we would have had a ban on white men in public a LONG time ago.” Former Clinton White House staffer Claude Taylor joined in, saying, “We need Travel Ban for white men.” (RELATED: Media, Journos Unite Against ‘White Men’ In Wake of Las Vegas Shooting)
Newsweek published a story titled, “White en Have Committed More Mass Shootings Than Any Other Group,” while a CNN op-ed said, “How America has silently accepted the rage of white men.”
Bustle published a story stating, “White Men Commit Mass Shootings More Than Any Other Group — Why Aren’t We Talking About That?”
However, this narrative is not based in fact. Whites do indeed commit many mass shootings, but as the majority of the population, that is to be expected.
When the number of mass shootings perpetrated by whites is measured against their share of the population, it turns out that white Americans are underrepresented as mass shooters, not overrepresented. (RELATED: Despite Media Narrative, White Americans Are Underrepresented As Mass Shooters)
Even Slate, a liberal site, published a story stating, “Mass Shooters Aren’t Disproportionately White.”
5. CNN Correspondent Points Out Country Music Fans Are Trump Supporters
Finally, a CNN correspondent Jeff Zeleny said that many country music fans are supporters of Donald Trump in the wake of the shooting.
Zeleny said, “Something else, I think, to keep in mind–a lot of these country music supporters are likely Trump supporters. This is something, of course, hitting the tapestry of all Americans and there are going to be victims from across the country here.” (RELATED: CNN Reporter: Country Music Fans Are Likely Trump Supporters [VIDEO])
He did not explain what he meant by this or the relevance of it, simply pointing out that immediately after a mass shooting, many of the dead were Trump supporters.