ABC, CBS, and NBC gave 11 times more coverage to anti-gun activists than pro-gun advocates after the Parkland, Fla. school shooting, according to a new study.
The Media Research Center tracked all gun coverage by the broadcast media since February 15 (the day after the school shooting) and found a total of 69 stories and nine interviews on the anti-gun efforts of the Parkland students. During that same time period, ABC, CBS, and NBC didn’t run a single story about pro-gun students like Kyle Kashuv.
In those stories and interviews, the networks also gave 11 times more airtime to anti-gun statements than pro-gun statements, not even bothering to cover the debate evenhandedly. Anti-gun statements received 71.5 minutes of airtime while pro-gun statements received just 6.5.
CBS was the worst offender, giving over 28 minutes to anti-gun pundits and students and just one minute and thirty seconds to the opposing viewpoint.
In the process of elevating the gun control narrative, the networks also failed to challenge the nasty and libelous statements of Marjory Stoneman Douglas students.
For example, Ryan Deitsch’s assertion that Sen. Marco Rubio was taking money “from an organization [NRA] that has been known to help in the aiding of killing innocent lives” went unchallenged by ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos.
CBS correspondent Adriana Diaz, meanwhile, allowed Sheryl Acquarola to say that “the next death on someone with an assault rifle here in Florida is going to be on [Florida Republican legislators]. It’s going to be on them and it’s going to be their fault.”