By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
The Second Amendment Foundation has released the results of a new national poll by McLaughlin and Associates which shows overwhelming public concern about media bias when it comes to reporting on “gun violence” and the Second Amendment.
The McLaughlin group is a national survey research and strategic services company specializing in public opinion research and media planning. SAF was not involved in crafting survey questions or the actual polling, the organization said in a news release.
According to the McLaughlin survey, 71.9 percent of Americans are concerned about media bias at news networks such as ABC, CBS and NBC, including 34.3 percent who are “very concerned” and 37.6 percent who are “somewhat concerned.” Only one in four are not concerned about media bias on gun issues, including 16.1 percent who are not very concerned and a scant 8.9 percent who are not concerned at all.
“While some may be surprised by the survey results,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, “we’re actually not, which amounts to a sad commentary on the state of the establishment media today. The firearms community has felt for a long time that Second Amendment issues do not get a fair shake, and this survey strongly reinforces that impression.”
“Clearly the vast majority of Americans have lost faith in the national media when it comes to reporting honestly and fairly about gun violence and Second Amendment issues,” said pollster Jim McLaughlin, president and partner at McLaughlin and Associates. “Interestingly, not only are Republicans (83%) suspect of the information they receive, but Independents (69%) and even Democrats (63%) are worried about bias on Second Amendment and gun violence issues.”
Gun rights versus gun control, so-called “gun violence” and the Second Amendment are likely to become major issues as the 2024 presidential campaign heats up. Incumbent Joe Biden has been a career anti-gunner and as soon as he was sworn into office in January 2021, he began pushing his gun control agenda. He has not been successful in efforts to ban so-called “assault weapons” or 9mm handguns, but he has pushed other efforts designed to chill private party transfers.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, makes a habit of mentioning the Second Amendment during his stump speeches. He will be appearing at the National Rifle Association convention this weekend in Dallas.
