r/canadaguns • u/drakkosquest • Feb 27 '26

News / Politics / Activism Garbage Journalism

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Sent a message and considering emailing the journalist personally. Read the title, read the article, look at the photo. This is the kind of garbage journalism that leaves uninformed Canadians supporting Gun Grab policies. Its not just the CBC.

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u/pasegr Feb 27 '26

Unpopular opinion but the reporting is accurate, .22 or not its a semi automatic rifle, and the magazine was loaded and found in the driver's pocket. How else would you report it?

3

u/black_covfefe_please Feb 27 '26

It may be "accurate" but it misleads the average reader. The implication is that it was somehow illegal. Nothing in the headline or byline includes anything illegal. Are they going to start reporting every time someone is pulled over with a coffee or with a cell phone in their pocket?

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u/prosper_0 Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26

the question is why you would report it in the first place? There's nothing wrong, malicious, illegal or newsworthy (or even interesting) about the fact of its existence or its presence.

Better less 'bait-y' reporting would be to headline the reason for the pull-over. "Intoxicated driver found driving, with firearms present" (for example) might be more honest and less "let's lead people to a conclusion." Leading with "semi-automatic..." in this current climate makes it sound like the driver was on the way to shoot up a school or something. It's dishonest, even if factual. The way you decide to present the facts (and indeed, which facts you decide to present) matters.

2

u/MasterScore8739 Feb 27 '26

That’s my thoughts on this too.

Does it come across a little skewed to sound worse to someone unfamiliar with firearms? Sure, maybe a little bit.

However if I was looking for a new rifle I’d probably say something along the lines of “I’m wanting to add a new semi auto to the safe, don’t know what I want yet though.”

Hell look at some of the threads even in this sub. Usually it’s some form of “I’m wanting a new semi-auto in X-calibre.” or “what semi-autos are left to actually buy?”

All the journalists did was describe the rifle exactly as it is, but left the calibre out of the equation.