ABC, CBS, and NBC gave five times more airtime to pushing gun control than they did supporting gun rights after the Las Vegas mass shooting, according to a new study.
The Media Research Center analyzed all of the statements about guns the three broadcast networks carried between Oct. 2 and Oct. 8. In just six days, the networks managed to favor gun control over gun rights by a 5:1 ratio.
Between the anchors, reporters, guests and soundbites, the three networks used 30 minutes and 17 seconds to argue in favor of gun control and used just 6 minutes and 27 seconds to favor gun rights.
Outside of overall arguments for or against gun control, the networks also spent a whopping 28 minutes and 30 seconds pushing for regulation of bump stocks. One minute and 47 seconds were given to those opposed to additional regulations on bump stocks.
Combining their words on general firearm use and bump stocks, ABC, CBS, and NBC spent just short of an hour across the six day period arguing for some form of gun regulation.
On “NBC Nightly News,” anchor Tom Brokaw went hard after the National Rifle Association and encouraged viewers to “speak up” against the gun rights organization.
“I would say to this audience, and any audience before which I appear these days, we are where we are because of the power of people who wanted these kinds of guns. And the NRA managed to organize them and get them as a political force in America,” Brokaw said. “We’re a long way away from that Second Amendment in which we said that a militia is important to our country….I think that we have to step up, all of us, and speak up.”
On ABC’s “Good Morning America,” George Stephanopoulos trashed the White House for “stop[ping] any debate about gun control before it begins,” while his coanchor Robin Roberts praised late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel for “taking a big stand on gun control.”
Overall, NBC was the biggest gun grabber, managing a 10:1 ratio of gun control vs. gun rights. CBS came in second with an approximately 4:1 ratio, and ABC trailed with a close to 3:1 ratio.