On the Monday morning broadcast network newscasts, ABC, CBS, and NBC continued to promote the inflated definition of mass shootings from the Gun Violence Archive in light of weekend shootings in Chattanooga, Tennessee and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, claiming there were 13 weekend mass shootings. And, worse yet, they absolved far-left cities and prosecutors from being a reason for spikes in crime.
The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an event in which four or more people are shot and/or killed (minus the gunman), but as we’ve discussed at NewsBusters, it’s a dubious measurement that one crime expert called “confusing” with the definition of gun violence even includes things such as home invasions, accidental shootings, using a gun in self defense, “and everything else.”
For one story, our Nick Fondacaro spoke with The Reload’s Stephen Gutowksi, who said Gun Violence Archive’s measuring stick “increases the number of mass shootings by a factor of ten or more.”
But on Monday, none of that mattered.
“According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least a dozen mass shootings this weekend alone, parents and children around the country on edge,” said ABC’s Janai Norman during both of her reports on Good Morning America.
Norman also followed the lead of her colleagues in refusing to call out Soros-backed districts attorneys, chalking it up to “the sheer number of firearms out there.”
Co-host Michael Strahan and Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas also cited the Gun violence Archive to claim there’s been “33 mass shootings” since the Uvalde, Teas shooting and “246 mass shootings” in 2022.
Thomas said it was all proof that they’re “becoming as American as apple pie.”
Congressional correspondent Rachel Scott did her part, insisting new polling proves “[t]his issue is top of mind for the American people” and a lynchpin to the midterm elections.
Co-host George Stephanopoulos also shared their metric in the 7:30 a.m. half-hour: “There’s been an average of more than one mass shooting a day this year.”
Having made clear it possess an aversion to gun rights, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King implored viewers to “listen to the numbers” about 13 mass shootings.
Correspondent Jericka Duncan used her report from Philadelphia to wallow with Soros-backed DA Larry Krasner (D) and gun control advocate Daniel Webster (click “expand”):
DUNCAN: It's a sentiment echoed by the city's district attorney, Larry Krasner.
KRASNER: We have 120 guns for every 100 human beings. That's ridiculous. This is supposed to be a country of human beings, not a country of guns.
DUNCAN [TO KRASNER]: 211 homicides so far this year. 743 nonfatal shooting victims. What is the city to do?
KRASNER: The city has to change. I mean, that's the bottom line.
(....)
WEBSTER: Now into 2022 ,we're seeing increases in many forms of violence, and of course we've seen some increases in mass shootings, as well.
DUNCAN: Daniel Webster leads the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University. He says gun violence has continued to rise in the last two years and pointed to reforms with wide public support like tighter licensing laws and comprehensive background checks as evidence-based solutions.
WEBSTER: The problem is the disconnect between what the public say they want and support and what policymakers actually act upon.
DUNCAN: And experts say that they expect Gun violence will tick up this summer which follows annual trends. Also, in speaking with District Attorney Krasner he said that only 28 percent of fatal shootings are solved, basically saying it's not a big enough deterrent when some of these criminals know that they're less likely, rather, to get caught after these killings.
Notice how there was not a peep about a drop in, among a litany of issues, convictions on those charged with gun crimes.
NBC’s Today began with this tease from co-host Savannah Guthrie: “Under the gun. A weekend of staggering violence in America. 13 mass shootings in just 48 hours. Scenes of chaos from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Philadelphia.”
Leading off the A-block, Guthrie added: “In all, there were at least 13 shootings over the weekend, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which keeps track.”
Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez would do the same along with co-host Hoda Kotb (who had a news brief in the 8:00 a.m. Eastern hour). Gutierrez also touted calls for gun control from actor Matthew McConaughey (click “expand”):
GUTIERREZ: The back-to-back deadly shootings capping a weekend of gun violence across the nation. Since Friday, there have been 13 mass shootings across the country according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines mass shootings as four or more shot not including the shooter.
(....)
GUTIERREZ: And just this morning, actor Matthew McConaughey, who was born in Uvalde, is out with a new op-ed calling for changes that he says will prevent gun violence, including raising the age limit to buy an assault rifle to 21 and instituting a national waiting period for assault rifle purchases.
(....)
KOTB: There's been no let up in the recent string of mass shootings across the United States. 13 incidents this weekend alone. The Gun Violence Archive reports at least 12 people killed, 40 hurt since Friday.
Monday’s misinformation was brought to you thanks to advertisers such as Claritin (on CBS), and Subaru (on ABC), and Wayfair (on NBC). Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant transcripts from June 6, click here (for ABC), here (for CBS), and here (for NBC).
