Very interesting.....

Glen

Moderator
Staff member
Very interesting -- I was just contacted by a reporter from the New York Times. He is writing an article about bullet casting and would like to learn more about the process. I have asked him to answer a few questions for me before I agree to anything. We'll see what he has to say.....
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Yeah, when I was running LASC I was contacted by producers from ABC TV. They wanted to do a newscast at and about the range and club members. I agreed to allow it as soon as I had a signed contract in hand that clearly stated the show would include nothing whatsoever that could possibly be construed as anti Constitution, anti Second Amendment, anti shooter/shooting, anti firearm. That was probably 10-12 years ago. Still waiting for their return call.
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Yep, I was president of the local rifle and pistol club when the supreme court decision on individual rights was announced. Cut a deal with the reporter on the same thing, took him shooting, etc., etc.. I got to read it before he turned it in to the editors. Of course when it was published it was anti-gun, anti- shooting and we were all animals. When I called him, he said the editor changed it to conform with newspaper policy. He was lying, of course, as I later found out. Wrote one for me, then the other for the paper. Got so many "letters to the editor", he was promoted up to the Seattle Times from the Yakima Horrid Repulsive.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Just common sense and logic that if it's any of the networks or major papers it will be a hit piece plain and simple. Zero chance that there could be even a short sentence pro anything firearm related. That's why I wanted a signed contract so I could sue the bejeebee's out of them after the show came out.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Yep, sounds like sumbody just found out ordinary peples can, (GASP!!!!)...make their own BULLETS. Probably wants to know if its regulated or not, why not, and how ez it is fir crimminals to make their own so he can blow the whistle to the mayor and governor. Reporters are mostly scumbags with an agenda which is never in the interest of those they interview. I've had multiple dealings with them and every time ended with me barely keeping myself from choking them to death.
 

Glen

Moderator
Staff member
My response to him was -- Good morning! I must confess to being a little surprised that the NYT would be interested in cast bullets. In reviewing your productive career, I see a commendable focus on the environment (I'm an environmental chemist, so these are things near and dear to my heart). What is the basic gist of your article on cast bullets? What are you hoping to learn? And how do you intend to portray the shooting sports in general, and bullet casting in particular? I am willing to chat with you on the subject, but I would like to know a little more before agreeing to anything. All the best, Glen.

I haven't heard anything back from him.....
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
If you do hear back from them, which I think is extremely doubtful, get a written signed contract in hand before any interview. Their word and a hand shake on anything isn't worth squat. My experience with the media proves them to me at least that they are some of the most unethical and dishonest people you can deal with. They consider it an honor to have the chance to lie to you on anything that might further their political agenda.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Here a true story of the hit piece CBS TV did on Angeles Shooting ranges about 12-15 years ago and they have gotten far worse since then.

Early morning and a women property owner adjacent to the range calls the Sheriff, the Forest Service and CBS TV. The Forest Service because the entire area is Angeles National Forest with a few private properties grandfathered in including the 100 acre Angeles Shooting Ranges. The entire area is also mountainous with natural berms separating the various ranges and the neighboring properties. The natural berm separating Angels Ranges and this women's property is roughly 100 feet high. There is a rough fire equipment access road down the west side of Angeles and just east of her house, this road is dirt and has a locked gate out on the main road, it is never open to the public or the property owners in the area. It is available only to forestry fire personnel.

So she calls the Sheriff, the Forest Service and CBS TV and reports the crime of the shooting range has shot up her house. All three of them showed up. The deputy contacts the General manager of the range. I was at the range that morning and since I am a share holder of the property I tagged along to see what was going on.

Forestry and the Sherriff's deputy investigate and discover that someone did indeed shoot several 45 ACP rounds through her screen door which went into a kitchen cabinet. The woman is screaming bloody murder that the shooting range has shot up her house. CBS is gleefully video taping this. Further investigating by Forestry and the deputy discover two sets of foot prints in the dirt road all the way out to the gate on the main road. They find several fresh 45 ACP cases laying around about 25-30 yards from her door. Forestry and the deputy gives CBS an interview which they video taped and explains very carefully that it wasn't possible for the shots to be from the range and explain they found the brass where the shots were fired from. For the shots to come from the range they would have to go over the ridge, come back down the other side and then level off horizontal to the ground and go through the door into the cabinet. Didn't satisfy the woman, she's still screaming bloody murder and CBS is still video taping her.

That afternoon I go home and turn on the TV to CBS. With every commercial break all afternoon and evening they have a news alert, shooting range shoots up woman's house, story at 10.

Finally 10 o'clock and the news comes on. The entire news on it was only the woman screaming that the shooting range shot up her house. No hint that Forestry or the Sherriff's office were even there, not only did they not include the taped interview with forestry, the sheriff and the range manager they weren't even mentioned in this news report. Nothing whatsoever other than the woman crying over and over about the shooting range shooting her house and the CBS talking head shaking his head saying how horrible this is with an image of a huge revolver on the wall behind him.

That folks is what we have for news. That was 12-15 years ago and they are far worse today than they were then.
 

Intheshop

Banned
"If it bleads,it leads".... "Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story".... come to mind,am sure there are plenty more.

NYT?..... a well outfitted fishing troller. I'd have some real fun if they called me. "Hey,could you check on what happened to my subscription"? Then go off on a 10 minute dissertation on how it just ain't right to take money from fixed income folks and then not send my paper?Or ask about the obituary section?
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
There are a few decent human beings still in the business of reporting the news. Then there are the other 99.999999999999999999999999% of them. I've seen them be given a fact filled description of an event and have it come out completely screwed up and mangled. I've seen opinion, off the record and given in confidence, printed as a public statement. I don't trust most people. I don't trust reporters out side the weekly hometown paper at all. If he was from the NYT, and I rather doubt he'd be a staffer, it's going to be a hit piece, 100% absolute guarantee.
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
Like Reagan said, "Trust but verify!". I place little
faith and even less trust in the truthfulness of about 95%
of the reporters coming out of journialism colleges
today.

Paul
 

JSH

Active Member
Local news contacted me a few years back. In a nutshell they said the were interested in doing a deal on fire arm safety. I asked if any of the "crew" had taken a hunter safety coarse. They did not think so. I advised to check on taking the State coarse. They wanted one for adults and I advised them this was for all age groups and was an excellent program.
They tried to get me to jump through hoops, didn't happen. I had already made contact with a friend of a friend that worked at the station. That individual poked around and found out what the true agenda was.
Never did see anything on the local news on any safety news
 
It would be a cold day in hell before I would ever let any reporter interview me, but if for some wild reason I agreed, I would video the whole thing, start to finish.

The reporter may be God's gift to the shooting sports, but what about his editor? Publisher?

The media is Satan's Right Arm. Never forget it.


Cat
 

Glen

Moderator
Staff member
Over a week has gone by, and I haven't heard a peep out of that NYT reporter. My questions must have scared him off....