Katie Couric (Photo: Today Show)
Though she has taken “responsibility” for the “dramatic effect” in her documentary on the gun debate, Katie Couric has not received a pass from the pro-gun organization she admittedly misrepresented.
The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) slammed the news anchor for once again “selectively” editing the group’s response to her questioning in the documentary, called, “Under the Gun.”
We’ll get to the latest details in a moment, but let’s back up and examine Couric’s apology for making VCDL members look speechless following a question she asked them on the ability of convicted felons and those on the terror watch list to legally obtain a gun.
“As Executive Producer of ‘Under the Gun,’ a documentary film that explores the epidemic of gun violence, I take responsibility for a decision that misrepresented an exchange…” said Couric in a statement. “When I screened an early version of the film with the director, Stephanie Soechtig, I questioned her and the editor about the pause and was told that a ‘beat’ was added for, as she described it, ‘dramatic effect,’ to give the audience a moment to consider the question.”
To recap, she and a producer deliberately added 8 seconds to the doc between the end of Couric’s question and the beginning of the VCDL member’s response, making it seem that the VCDL members were stunned or caught off guard or didn’t know how to answer the question — which certainly wasn’t the case.
“When VCDL members recently pointed out that they had in fact immediately answered this question, I went back and reviewed it and agree that those eight seconds do not accurately represent their response,” she continued.
VCDL called her out for that, and Couric had no choice but to own it. Well, sort of. An honest reading of her apology would suggest that she blames the director for the pause even though she signed off on it.
To state the obvious, as a seasoned “journalist” with executive producer power over the editing process of the doc, Couric should have immediately demanded that filmmakers remove the pause. But she didn’t. Why? Hmmm. Maybe one has to start at the beginning and ask, did Couric really set out to make an honest film about guns in America?
You, the reader, can draw your own conclusions.
Now, to get to the latest details. The VCDL is still not happy with Couric. Because below her written apology she included an edited transcript that cuts out much of what the members said during the exchange.
“On the obscure web page where Katie buries her apology, there is a transcript of the response VCDL’s members gave to katie’s question,” notes the VCDL. “The problem is that the transcript stops only about one-quarter of the way into the response, clipping off the most relevant parts of the answer!”
To be fair, editing or shortening one’s response to a question is a common practice in journalism — written, film and otherwise. In fact, this article is itself a compilation of shortened quotes from all the parties involved. That’s how it works. Readers, viewers, listeners don’t have the time to hear everything that is said. If journalists didn’t edit responses, a 500-word story would be a 5,000-word story, a 1.5-hour documentary would be a 10-hour documentary. So, yes, things have to be cut out.
But the question is whether what’s being omitted — or what’s being added — unfairly characterizes or misrepresents the speaker. Hands down the addition of the dramatic pause misrepresented VCDL. The edited transcript Couric includes at the bottom of her apology, well, that’s a tougher call to make. It might be that it fairly — albeit incompletely — represented the VCDL’s position on the matter.
SEE ALSO: Media Bias Against Gun Owners: We’re All Tinfoil Hat Rednecks
While the gripe about the transcript might be untenable, the VCDL does make another cogent complaint. As it said, “If you ignore the twisting of gun-owner’s words by taking a comment out of context, KATIE STILL DOES NOT SAY SHE WILL FIX THE FILM!”
“Instead somebody watching the film on cable will have no idea that there is an ‘apology’ buried on the film’s website for the unethical liberties Katie took with the VCDL members’ responses. Unless the actual responses are put back in the footage where she replaced them with silence, years from now, long after the so-called apology website is gone, this gun-control manifesto will be considered the correct version of events,” said the VCDL.
Katie needs to fix the film. The VCDL is right about that. An apology isn’t enough. A new version — one without the pause — needs to be released if Couric wants to right this wrong. Even then, it may be a case of too little too late (plus, who knows what other errors and misrepresentations the film contains. Remember, where there is smoke, there is usually fire).
Sue the stupid bitch!
Does anyone really pay attention to this lo life news reader. Never here!
What a surprise! Another talking head is a lair, and just makes up the “news” Why pretend to be surprised?
We must insist and give only live interviews.
We should only give live interviews.
Apology? Where is the apology? The smug, biased, lying, sanctimonious talking heads of the dying snews media do not apologize and this one certainly did not. Do you remember commie chung? She ambushed Newt Gingrich’s elderly mother in an interview. Again, point out the apology. As for couric, let the door hit ya on your way out. I hope that your ratings drop even further. Quit.
All dealers have to do background checks, she is a buffoon.
Sign with smoking bullet holes behind Lauer and Couric on Today Video shows just how even handed the “documentary” and their position is……
I thought this was a non political blog???
Try this. T yrant
R ude
U ninformed
M aniacal
P rick
H – Half wit, i-ill informed,l-liar, l liar, a-antiquated, y-you can’t trust her.
Why don’t you try this, Michael
G
F
Y
Got any idea, swiftly?
I find it odd that the webmast states that politics are not allowed here yet this piece is nothing but politically oriented. One writer even gets away with calling Courier a CUNT. So why not try this on for size T trivial
R rude
U uninformed
M maniacal
P prick
Katie, you are just another lying liberal media shill.
Hope you loose your job.
I hve never trusted the MSM/LSM and I never will. They’re the propaganda division of this regime. Never before have I seen the media fawn over an administration like they do this crimal organization. As for Curic, she can kiss my ass.
Four words Katie…Kiss Your Career Good-bye
Couric lied to the police at Virginia Tech and said she was the parent of one of the victims. She did this so she couldget ahead of the other journalists in interviewing the real parents of the victims. This of course shows what a callous bitch she is.
Hey Katie…..Four Words…”Kiss your career goodbye”.
Everyone knows that liberals would not let the truth get in the way of a good lie. This bitch is unfit to report on the gargabe dump, pure lying scum
I have never had any trust in Katie Couric’s brand of “YELLOW JOURNALISM”. When she comes on I shut it off. I really do wonder who is stupid enough to listen to her. She belongs in Russia in the Politboro writing “Propaganda”.
She writes and works like that’s whom she works for anyway, so we really ought to all chip in for a plane ticket and send her back there permanently. Maybe then she will get a more attentive audience. Especially if they all have a gun to their heads to make them watch it. Katie honey, you suck!
I will have to disagree with you in something. Russia actually and presently are being 1000% more honest in their RT news site and channel than any leftard owned media(all of them) in this country. Russia is not accepting the leftard homoagenda, is trying to defend their currency against our country directed financial terrorism against them, is openly saying the reasons they had to go into Ukraine( an elected leader pushed out of power by our government with the aid of the UN), and also exposing the supposed “missile shield” that our country is putting in their backyard, which already is illegal and ignores previous treaties to not do so. In fact Russia have been forward thinking in trying to make an economy not based on value less paper , but trying to back it up with something material behind it, that’s why the BRICS countries will eventually own America and the paper money. They are far ahead from us in organizing organic only produce and not using any GMO’s ,which all Europe and Africa have banned and we keep giving our children. Russia seem also to be the new moral standard vs USA leftard all communist and gay media agenda. So next time you want to send someone to Russia, please dont let it be Katie Couric. Russia may be in a few years the only country thinking with their right side of the brain after all.
and they got moose and bear and elk hunting plus some nice trout streams to boot,russia ain’t all bad.
For the love of God? Why doesn’t GunsAmerica provide a way to link these articles to social media?
Otherwise, you are preaching to the choir!
All of them are Bloomberg’s puppets…or puppies…
C ouric
U ndermines
N ational
T ranquility
Awesome!
I hope that sometime she and her minions will find themselves in need of a gun !
Another agenda-driven and highly biased bit of hack journalism by another brainwashed Uber -liberal media figure, playing to her audience of similarly minded dupes, who buy into the propaganda. Barack Obama must be tickled, since gun ownership by any other than his inner-city thug constituents is not to be tolerated. We need some REAL Change after this asshole gets through with us.
We as Gun owners need to start boycotting everything these Leftists Pigs believe in and associate with.Anything they promote meaning their Networks ,products the whole deal.The time has come to make our voices heard.Hit them hard in their Wallets.
The only way anyone can answer the question of whether having a gun to defend against the Aurora shooter would have had an effect would be to have it and use it. Any other answer, such as supposedly the girls boyfriend says would not have made a difference, is pure speculation. Maybe Holmes was very cowardly and one shot from a potential victim and he drops his rifle and runs. Who knows. And by the way, Matt Lauer is douche also.
Typical liberal tactic. Edit the content to make opponents look stupid. I get the same thing from our liberal newspaper when I send a letter to the editor. They edit all the key content out, making my argument seem stupid. They have even added in miss-spellings and grammatical mistakes! They can’t win an argument without the dirty tricks.
An even greater sin was Couric interviewing professor John Lott, PhD for four hours before the piece and not even using one line from the interview. John Lott is the economics professor who scientifically deconstructs all the lies and myths relied on by the antis.
They leftist propaganda machine avoids people like Lott (or tries to denigrate his work without facts) and relies instead on interviews with the dumbest camo wearing guy at the range or gunshop.
An even greater sin was Couric interviewing professor John Lott, PhD for four hours before the piece and not even using one line from the interview. John Lott is the economics professor who scientifically deconstructs all the lies and myths relied on by the antis.
They leftist propaganda machine avoids people like Lott (or tries to denigrate his work without facts) and relies on interviews with the dumbest camo wearing guy at the range or gunshop.
I hope they sue the pants off of them.
The Brian Williams of anti gun media.
I wonder how much “Dramatic effect” she ever used to promote the pro gun stance?
We all need to pull together and push for a mandatory prison sentence for illegal possession of a firearm. This is a powerful tool for law enforcement in high crime areas like Chicago, where rampant gang violence is the norm. Where illegal gun possession is plea bargained down and the gun is blamed, not the criminal, in the liberal agenda.
There is a law against having a gun if you are not allowed to. Ten years.
As stated by another, a federal law already exists for a felon in possession of a gun; however, our federal government (Obama administration) rarely, if ever, prosecutes anyone for the crime. The prosecutorial statistics for such an offense are disgusting.
#BoycottList We need someone in the gun industry to start a boycott list to hold these people responsible and start listing all who attack the 2A so they can be boycotted and hit in the pocket book so we can have affect.
Just another liberal anti-gun asshole from NY – did you really expect this film to be unbiased and fair – just the title should tell you it would be BS
Don’t lump all New Yorkers together. There are plenty of us who are not leftists and gun control nuts.
Apparently, there are not enough of you since the Liberals run the entire state.
Stephen Culbertson, you’re are right on the money! What on Earth were the people representing the Virginia Citizens Defense League, (VCDL), thinking when they agreed to attend a video taped interview with Katie Couric? Surely some of them saw “Perky” Katie Couric’s previous TV spots that addressed the “evil” guns on the streets of America?
I can only believe that the VCDL people were being naive when they sat down for ANY discussion about guns with “Perky Katie Couric”. By the way, the recent close up photos of of this harridan betray an image that is not so “perky”. Why do liberal elite women like Couric and Valerie Jarrett eventually remind one of wrinkled monkeys in dresses? It gives one the urge to throw bananas laced with a laxatives at them. I would pay money to see that in an outdoor event with distant restrooms!
I hate to tell you this but she is from VA.my home also and yes she is on the side of the anti-gunners.But i think NBC is full of liberals but then so is Richmond.
Someone, quick, give Katie a Nobel Peace Prize for her hard work! I hear they are giving those things out for just about anything these days (*cough* Obama was handed – I mean “earned” – one too).
Sleaze
What did you really expect from that liberal, anti-gun, feminist, hack. (Never trust someone whos’ screw smile looks like the “Joker” from Batman) No one should ever do an interview with “perky” little “The Joker” Katie Kuric or “Lyin’ Brian” Williams again. Get caught lying, fabricating (lyin’), or editing for dramatic effect (lyin’). taking out of context (lyin’), try to interject your opinion rather than known and provable facts (lyin’), or allowing experts to use false “sttistics” (lyin’): No more carreer, no apology, no excuses…. Done! (Take a hint Megyn Kelly)
I think Hillary looks more like the Joker with that huge fake smile on her mug.
Is that a smile? I thought she was just showing her fangs
What’s new? This leftist woman has always been a gun grabbing wantabe her entire adult life. Way back when she was buds with that other anti American maggot, Bryant Gumbel, they were always plotting how to disarm the populace. A leftist takeover is always so much easier when those being overtaken are unable to fight back.
Question: Why did little perky Katie’s husband die? Answer: Because he could!
Her husband has nothing to do with this issue you stupid dipshit. He died of cancer, a terrible death.
This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time Ms Couric intentionally misrepresents fact and imbues it with fiction. For example years ago she, in my view, intentionally misrepresented the so called dangers of cell phone usage and it proven unrelated rf health issues and as a result has cost manufacturers millions of needless testing. But then, that is what slime ball journalism like hers is all about – misrepresenting fact and reporting fiction in its place.
This is what they do. Remember the Chevy truck gas tank explosions investigative journalism piece years ago. They couldn’t get the gas tanks to explode in the collisions, so they put an explosive charge under the truck and ignited it when the collision occurred. They got caught of course, but didn’t learn a thing – they’re still doing that kind of journalism. Couric is a dinosaur has been, who’s looking to reignite her career. She thinks she’s attractive, intelligent, and relevant. Three things she will never be. Arrogant hack.
That a journalist misstates facts or the opinions of others (things most people would call lies most journalists and politicians call misstatements) is nothing new. The unwritten rule in journalism is to bury retractions in the back pages. No one should be surprised that Couric’s “apology” follows that rule.
So WHERE is the “Surprise” here? I’m SOOOOOOO SICK to DEATH of all these ASSHOLES that give interviews to these “CREATURES” then are “SURPRISED” when they use their Magic to paint ANYONE that is Pro-Gun as a lunatic! WHEN are YOU gonna learn? STOP GIVING INTERVIEWS AND STOP TALKING TO THESE SCUM-BAGS. SIMPLE!!!! The “MEDIA”, (PROPAGANDA MINISTRY), DOES NOT GIVE A RAT’S ASS about TRUTH or portraying BOTH sides of this “ARGUMENT”. DO YOU EFFIN GET IT? STOP! You will NEVER see a Balanced, UNbiased, portrayal of the TRUTH.
You’re 100% correct. But then the problem becomes it’s a “win-win” for the anti’s. Either they get a statement that can be manipulated to fit their agenda [win] or they stifle and shut up the pro’s [win]. Worst yet, if the pro’s refuse to play their game and decline an interview, you can bet dollars to donuts that a statement will be included such as, “…we sought a reply from XYZ and they declined to comment.” In other words, “what are they hiding”. Good for VDCL for trying to do the right thing. Bad for Couric for pulling the BS she did. Hopefully, Couric will end up behind Brian Williams on the unemployment line.
The problem with not responding to requests for interviews is that the “news” outlet doesn’t just go on without that interview, they make a big deal out of it by saying something like this: “The “pro-gun advocates” refused our requests for an interview.”
Then of course, the journalist is free to use that as ammunition for their agenda.
It’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Truth in media folks. Start boycotting the advertiser products of news channels that distort the truth or peddle a liberal agenda. Call or write those advertisers and let them know that you are doing so and why. There has to be some way to stop this Nazi era manipulation of the media.
Yappy little mouse.
her ass needs firing and banned from the media. just like the other story liar williams(?). how can anyone believe what the media says?
Katie Couric, YOUR FIRED!
Donald Trump!
What do you expect from a flaming left-wing – anti-2nd amendment – media group?
“To be fair, editing or shortening one’s response to a question is a common practice in journalism — written, film and otherwise. In fact, this article is itself a compilation of shortened quotes from all the parties involved. That’s how it works. Readers, viewers, listeners don’t have the time to hear everything that is said. If journalists didn’t edit responses, a 500-word story would be a 5,000-word story, a 1.5-hour documentary would be a 10-hour documentary. So, yes, things have to be cut out.”
THIS WAS AN APOLOGY, NOT PART OF THE STORY! She had plenty of room and time to put the whole transcript up or just put up the audio for all to hear. One can put a massive amount of text on a web page. An apology should have listed the whole 4 minute exchange, unedited. We didn’t expect her to put on the 2 hours of the entire interview, just the full Q&A for the question that she manipulated in the film.
Adding eight seconds of cricket time is another story.
“To be fair, editing or shortening one’s response to a question is a common practice in journalism — written, film and otherwise. In fact, this article is itself a compilation of shortened quotes from all the parties involved. That’s how it works. Readers, viewers, listeners don’t have the time to hear everything that is said. If journalists didn’t edit responses, a 500-word story would be a 5,000-word story, a 1.5-hour documentary would be a 10-hour documentary. So, yes, things have to be cut out.”
THIS WAS AN APOLOGY, NOT PART OF THE STORY!
We miss her main idea…she knew there would be flack. The idea is to do the damage to the big audience and only have to apologize to the small audience. It is a favorite tactic. They should have sued to get the apology on the same show time slot.
She and her producer are still laughing!
Not surprising considering she got her training at the network that edited the George Zimmerman’s 911 call to make him look like a racist.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-philbin/2013/06/20/shameless-nbc-never-tells-viewers-it-smeared-zimmerman-doctored-aud
o sure accepting responsibility for a screwup is great when you know there are no consequences
That is the only way KC can get her ratings up by attacking gun owners, she went from CBS to Yahoo and the nest is will be closer to the door.
Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer: my two most favorite manipulative idiots. ‘Nothing good to say about either one. They’re shameless and arrogant at every turn: just like the Clintons, just like Obama. Worse, it’s even more shameful that the American electorate seems to have reached such depths of illiteracy so as to believe anything from them. A majority of American voters seem to have developed an affection for self-serving liars.
The only thing she ever did on television that was truthful was when she put her colonoscopy on tv. She couldn’t lie about that one. I was waiting to see if her head would be seen during the exam.
Can’t understand normal thinking.
Ted Nugent was correct in identifying which very small ultra minority group in “Amurika” is responsible for destroying the 2nd amendment time and time again! In doing so, he was forced by the NRA board members to back track what he said instead of being praised!
In response, I promptly cancel my membership! This very small ultra minority group if you haven’t figured it out yet is the nation wrecking Talmudic whores who are destroying Amurika! The elephant in the room has been identified! LOL
Are you saying that Katie Couric is a Jew? Or is she being controlled by the tiny minority’s magic Jew powers? Why is there always some ignorant hate mongering ass (no offense) that has to trot out the same old anti-Semitic crap just because some Jews are liberal. News flash, genius…Obama, Clinton, Reid and Pelosi and the rest of those a-holes in Washington are after your guns. Plenty of Jews out there doing everything they can to preserve the 2nd amendment.
And Obama, Clinton, Reid & Pelosi, as well as many others in this criminal regime of leftist Dems who are trying desperately to disarm you, are NOT Jews.
Drop the Jew hating long enough to recognize that Nazis are assholes too.
It should be remembered that the Jews of Warsaw, Poland, armed them any way they could to ward off Nazis who were about to commit genocide against the. A brave attempt which was admirable, but in the end, unsuccesful. No doubt, many Jews of this era will keep this heroic event alive as a warning that self defence against tyranny.
Couric also floated a “gotcha” question to Sarah Palin, remember? “What newspapers do you read?” Couric is a screaming liberal and a liar and should be put in a class with lying Brian Williams and exiled to the Rachel Maddow show. This was no apology at all. I will change the channel every time I see her dishonest face. Nothing like money taken from those sponsors to turn the tide of these Hil-liar-y a– lickers.
Amen
Hillary and the likes as such as this reporter are the supporters of NATO and the Small Arms Treaty that will leave Americans to the likes of NATA TROOPS who are murders and rapists. We will not be able to defend ourselves. The Second Amendment will be trashed. Every law that ever was written to regulate the 2nd Amendment needs to be repealed the 2nd Amendment was not meant to be regulated.
It’s OK, she is a liberal.She is allowed to lie and deceive for the “public good”.
S.H. Blannelberry is being too deferential by asking “Maybe one has to start at the beginning and ask, did Couric really set out to make an honest film about guns in America?” Anyone who has seen one of her previous “journalistic reports” about the people who enforce their Second Amendment right to arms, already knows the answer to that question. Katie Couric did, indeed, set out to impugn the character of any citizen who owns a firearm.
Couric is unable or unwilling to even pose a question about guns that doesn’t betray her anti-gun bias. That she has made her career with her rights under the First Amendment, to engage in the worst kind of “reporting” about the Second Amendment, is the very definition of presenting a display of irony.
So yes, Mr Blannelberry, my conclusion is that “Perky” Katie Couric is the avowed enemy of those that enforce at least one of the individual freedoms enumerated in the Bill of Rights.
A younger and better looking Hillary Clinton. Hopefully this exposes Katie\’s thinly veiled attempt at journalism for what it truly is. Her own one sided hatred for the 2nd Amendment. These supposed journalist never tell the sheeple the truth about the violence in this country or how in those states that do have concealed and or open carry the crime rates have come down. Take away our guns then what? The 1st Amendment that is already under attack on college campuses with their free speech zones. Wake up sheeple the NRA is not the problem it is the progressive liberals that want to strip us of our rights to stand up against their attempt to continue to fulfill Obama\’s promise to fundamentally change this country. As Obama hasn\’t done enough damage already. This isn\’t only scary it\’s shameful that we have become such a divided society based on BS that is spewed on our university campuses by liberal sixties throw backs that never grew up an d face reality.
She’ll always be a worthless liberal……….like obama, hillary and so on………….
As usual, her biggest regret, the one that she won’t actually mention is that she got caught. She should marry Brian Williams, they’d make a great couple because they have things in common like being busted, getting caught. In Russia, the news media, PRAVDA does similar things, but there the people that work at PRAVDA do it with government guns pointed at their heads to let them know what will happen if they don’t tow the government line. Here in America, Couric is indicative of a corrupt news media that has the God given, Constitutional affirmation to be corrupt and dishonest, and don’t they use it in cases like this, NBC doctoring 9-1-1 audio in the Zimmerman case, Andrea Mitchell doctoring a video of Mitt Romney making a point about OUR faltering economy and getting caught, Candy Crowley having to admit the day after she moderated a presidential debate that she didn’t tell the truth when she said that Obama called Benghazi and act of terror when he specifically did not. My point is that as a matter of record, video and audio clips, our American “news media” has proven time and time again, the latest with Couric that they are very dishonest. PRAVDA staff with guns pointed at their heads to tow the line versus our American “news media” using their First Amendment rights to be dishonest…which of the two staffs are actually more respectable? Sadly, I side with PRAVDA on that one.
Say what you want during the interview. It doesn’t matter. After they get back to the station and on the editing computer, they eliminate responses that don’t agree with their agenda, and they treat the interviewees they include like marionettes: “Back it up. Make him say this.” Reporters don’t like gun owners, and they work for people who want to take them all away.
The question itself was leading and disingenuous. How do criminal get guns? Well first of all, the type of high profile shootings that she is leading the audience to recall have not been committed by individuals with violent criminal records, most should have been institutionalized for mental illness, but not criminals. The drug-bangers who commit the bulk of the firearm homicides, not the suicides always included in the specious statistics provided by the mendacious anti-2A’s, are so common as to be non-news worthy, and well off the radar of the chicken little types attracted to Cutesy Katie Couric type journalism. 8 seconds, really? For the response that they buy them from other criminals, or steal them when able. 8 seconds, really? Now, as to the terrorist watch list, much like the no fly list, is a question for the black helicopter guys, because if one is on one is on one of those lists, it’s unlikely that one will be aware of it. Which, of course, begs the question as to who exactly leaks that information to the press after the fact. When it is impossible for a citizen to ascertain that information without a court order. Sadly, my contempt for this gubment, the uninformed electorate, and da gubment press that maintains the status quo, is far beyond description. We are standing on the precipice.
Typical. Pretend to apologize by deflecting the blame onto someone else, and do nothing to correct the deception.
How soon before she receives The Brian Williams Excellence In Journalistic Integrity Award?
Ah! Katie……..a feeder of the low information voters. I’ll bet she is so proud of her work and how she shovels crap down the throats of the ignorant that actually swallow what she peddles. Falling right in line with the rest of the “vomit” spewing media corps. Birds of a feather, I guess. Did she set out to make an honest film about guns in America? Seriously doubtful as evidenced by her actions and apology. We are the sum of our actions, Katie…..that’s why Obama will always be known as a lying looser.
Hey Katie, after Bloomberg spews into your mouth, does it taste like dust before you swallow?
ROFL!!!! EEEEEWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!! Gross but probably true…..lol!
What a lying Cun? Pampering to the ingorant
Why do these groups even accept an invitation to be interviewed? They know how biased and dishonest the media is. The groups just set themselves up again and again. Do they really think they will get an honest interview from the MEDIA PIGS!