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GunGate – Katie Couric Alters VCDL Responses in “Documentary”
Gadsten Guns Blog ^ | 27 May, 2016 | Kitty

Posted on 05/30/2016 12:11:47 PM PDT by marktwain

gungate image

GunGate – Katie Couric Alters VCDL Responses in “Documentary”

By on May 27, 2016

Katie Couric has been exposed as a fraud over the current GunGate debacle, and since Gadsden Guns owner Pat Webb was one of the parties whose answers were altered in the so-called documentary, we feel it’s our duty to speak out and share the truth about what really happened.

GunGate – How it Happened

Under the guise of documentary journalism, pro-gun activists were interviewed by Katie Couric in order to “provide varied viewpoints.”

In fact, those are some of the exact words that were included in the email sent to VCDL’s president asking the organization to contribute to Couric’s interviews. You can read the whole story in President Philip Van Cleave’s own words in the recent VA-ALERT, but for the sake of convenience, here’s what he says about being invited to participate:

I received an email in March of 2015 from Kristin Lazure, a producer for Atlas Films, asking if VCDL would be part of “a documentary about the gun violence prevention movement in America.”

In the email, Kristin said, “Some of the storylines we’re exploring include the legislative process on the federal and state level, how the Second Amendment has been interpreted in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Heller ruling, and what impact mass shootings like Aurora and Sandy Hook have on gun reform legislation.” She continued, “In order to fully understand the complexities of this hot button topic and speak to an audience with varied viewpoints, Ms. Couric is very eager to include all perspectives in this discussion.”

As is VCDL’s general policy with the media, we do our best to accommodate their requests, as it gives us a chance to get our message out to the public. It is a policy that has worked well for as long as VCDL has been around, with the exception of four times, and this was to be one of those exceptions.

Luckily, Van Cleave had the foresight to record the interview in its entirety, just in case something like this happened. We in the firearms world have all too much experience with dishonest and manipulative politicians and supposed journalists.

The Interview

Here’s the deal:

Out of a 2 hour interview with Philip and another 1 hour and 50 minute interview with a group of VCDL members, including Gadsden Guns owner Pat Webb, can you guess how much footage made it into the actual documentary?

About 4 minutes.

And that’s not the worst part.

Look, this was obviously not going to be a fair and balanced presentation of the issues. It was Katie Couric, after all, so nobody on the pro-rights side expected to be presented in a flattering light or to get equal screentime with the groups and people that furthered the agenda being pushed.

But we did have a certain level of trust.

We trusted that even though we’d definitely get less screentime, and our most articulate and compelling points would probably be excluded, we’d still be presented more or less honestly.

Nobody expected the editorial team to do a hack job on our interview footage to intentionally make us look like uncomfortable, inarticulate mutes.

Here’s what we mean.

The Switch

This is the original audio of the infamous GunGate question, the one about background checks:

Link to original source for audio clip (4:29)

And here is the same segment as it appears in the finished movie:

Link to original Source for video clip (:21)

Notice that Katie’s question is subtly changed, from

If there are no background checks, how do you prevent…I know how you all are going to answer this, but I’m asking anyway…if there are no background checks for gun purchasers, how do you prevent felons or terrorists from walking into, say, a licensed gun dealer, and purchasing a gun?

to

Let me ask you another question. If there are no background checks for gun purchasers, how do you prevent felons or terrorists from purchasing a gun?

Yes, it is standard practice in all interviews to cut out asides, moments where people trip over their words, and things like that, but there’s one important phrase that stands out as a major red flag.

I already know how you all are going to answer this, but I’m asking anyway…

Apart from being horribly condescending, that attitude is not journalistic in the least.

Neither is cutting out the few words “licensed gun dealer,” because the final version somehow implies that background checks can prevent people from buying a gun on the black market, too. Interesting, isn’t it?

But the thing that’s making GunGate famous, and rightfully so, is the way the answers were edited.

Or, rather…omitted.

You can tell from the original audio that several group members chimed in immediately to offer answers to Couric’s questions, even though she wasn’t very receptive to hearing them. It seems there’s a fine line between interviewing and arguing.

Instead of highlighting any of the immediate, articulate answers to that question, the editor chose instead to pull footage from a different part of the interview to create a dull silence.

VCDL members even seem to be avoiding eye contact, like a kid trying to avoid being called on by the teacher, when the reality is that several people spoke up to answer the question.

In fact, the only time any of the group members remember remaining silent was when the crew asked that they sit silently for the purposes of gauging the ambient sound, a technique that is used commonly to make editing the sound levels easier.

VCDL member appears to avoid eye contact in GunGate farce documentary

And, in an appalling farce, Katie Couric assumes no personal responsibility for the obviously misleading edits, and the director of the piece claims instead that it was meant to be a thoughtful pause for the viewer’s benefit!

My intention was to provide a pause for the viewer to have a moment to consider this important question before presenting the facts on Americans’ opinions on background checks.

Of course, the network that aired the documentary simply encourages viewers to watch and decide for themselves. Surely, the GunGate controversy has been excellent for their viewership numbers, so there’s little chance they’ll take it down even after being exposed as a fraud.

The Ultimate Betrayal of Public Trust

We were shocked when we discovered this deception, but more than anything, we’re just deeply disappointed.

Thousands, perhaps even millions, trust Katie Couric because she’s supposed to be a renowned journalist, and she used that trust to sell all of those people a convenient fiction.

Of course, it brings into question the integrity not just of the rest of this propaganda-laden documentary, but everything she’s ever done throughout her career. How often has this happened to other people who did not have the influence or the courage to speak out and reveal this kind of intentional deception?

And even though we have our own recordings, our own proof that our trust was betrayed, there are still more people who won’t believe us because they implicitly trust Katie Couric and journalism without question.

We can’t go back and retract the interview, and neither can we alter the way we were presented by Couric and her team.

However, we can use platforms like this blog to allow our voices to be heard.

Statements Directly From Those Involved

The following quotes are statements directly from some of the VCDL members whose trust was betrayed in the GunGate altered documentary.

If you would like to use these quotes in your own blog or news article, you absolutely may do so, but please provide a link back to this post so that readers can reach the original source.

Each statement was given directly to this blog from the individual, and they were also courteous enough to provide their own photographs. If you would like to use their photos, you need their permission, but we’ll help you get in touch with them to ask if you’d like. Just leave us a comment or send us an email.

Dr. Rubinder S. Toor, M.D. Physician and VCDL Member

Rubinder Toor responds to the GunGate scandal in which Katie Couric and her editor modified interview responses for an anti-gun documentaryI was once a gun hating liberal who converted to a well informed, pro-gun conservative. One must realize that the liberal media deliver lies and feed on emotions to stay in power. Fellow VCDL members and I participated in the documentary to spread honest information about lawful gun owners. We knew there would be bias, but we prepared for their slander and smearing tactics by carrying our audio recorders. Katie Couric’s pitiful attempt to insult American gun owners has further reinforced the fact that liberals thrive on lies and emotion. I am satisfied that I participated in exposing this truth and have no regrets in embracing the 2nd Amendment.

Ed Levine, VCDL Executive Member

Ed Levine responds to the GunGate scandal in which Katie Couric and her editor modified interview responses for an anti-gun documentaryI knew in the beginning it was going to be a hit piece. You can tell when they ask multiple questions over and over like “Why would anyone need a gun?” and “Could you REALLY kill someone? Are YOU a killer”? So why do interviews like this? Because they are going to do a show with or without knowledgeable gun owners and I would prefer they have the information correct from “our” side. Katie blamed her secret silence on her editors. But I assure you, she saw the final version 10 times before it was published.. and as the executive producer, she probably ASKED for it that way and her editor is taking the fall. And people wonder why I say not to believe the liberal media.

Leonard Harris, Executive Member of VCDL

Leonard Harris responds to the GunGate scandal in which Katie Couric and her editor modified interview responses for an anti-gun documentaryWhile I expected it to be biased in that the other side would get more time and probably softball questions, it never occurred to me that Katie would do something unethical by changing our answers to her questions. This is the kind of behavior expected from Soviet-era Pravda, not a 21st century American journalist. It shows a blatant disregard for the truth and calls into question all the work she’s done.

Baraka Ulrich James, Modern American Shooting and Firearms founder

Baraka James responds to the GunGate scandal in which Katie Couric and her editor modified interview responses for an anti-gun documentaryMany people have asked me, why did you agree to go on a mainstream media show? My answer is two fold: One, they would have done the piece with or without us. I would rather be there to deliver accurate information, challenge falsehoods and shoot down bad information. That is exactly what we as a group did but they intentionally left those parts out.

Two, I trusted in Katie Couric’s ethics, integrity and most of all professionalism, to be reporting an honest and unbiased view representing both sides equally. But instead…. she lied and used us to further and fuel the anti-gun agenda.

The truth has now been released and it will just get worse for her from here on out. You reap what you sow. The worse part is that this could have been a hit with both sides had she just represented both sides equally and in an unbiased fashion as a good journalist should have.

Judy Rudek

Judy Rudek responds to the GunGate scandal in which Katie Couric and her editor modified interview responses for an anti-gun documentaryI admit, I fully expected little (if any) of our commentary to be included in the documentary, as I was pretty sure it would be leaning very much to the anti-gun side of the debate, based on the conversation. But for our answers to be deliberately altered to satisfy the film’s agenda goes beyond the pale. I spent a fair amount of time after the movie explaining to my family and friends that the information from the VCDL group, of which I was proudly a part, was altered in editing. I am glad that there is concrete proof of that.

And as to the director’s comment that she was ‘allowing the audience time to think’ by adding the 10 seconds of silence, that is a blatant falsehood. If she had really wanted to do that, it should NOT have been immediately following Katie’s question. Instead, she used the ‘ambient noise pause’ we had (at the filmer’s request during the interview) to make it appear we had no answer.

Pat Webb, Gadsden Guns President and Executive Member of VCDL

Pat Webb responds to the GunGate scandal in which Katie Couric and her editor modified interview responses for an anti-gun documentaryWe did this interview in good faith, and although we fully expected the end result to be biased against our civil rights, we were dismayed to find the blatant deceit displayed with the “creative editing.”  The media has a responsibility to the public, and we are sad to see the public trust shattered so shamefully.

Dennis J. O’Connor, VCDL Board Member

Dennis O'Connor responds to the GunGate scandal in which Katie Couric and her editor modified interview responses for an anti-gun documentaryI am used to speaking with the press, and understand that we all have different views on things and may even disagree on the subject at hand. It can therefore be understandable if a reporter’s own biases are evident in the resulting story, but you still expect final footage to represent those interviewed honestly, and to quote them correctly. For Yahoo News to betray that trust by allowing Couric to “cut and splice” to create knowingly false responses shows a deplorable lack of ethics and morals.

Dan Hawes

Dan Hawes responds to the GunGate scandal in which Katie Couric and her editor modified interview responses for an anti-gun documentaryI expected the promise of a ‘fair and balanced discussion’ to mean that all sides would have equal exposure – I did not expect to be exploited for the purpose of discrediting those who are interested in being prepared to defend themselves, their homes and their families.

These statements have not been altered, shortened, or changed in any way. If you choose to use them in your own publications, please show the same respect and post them in their entirety with credit and appropriate attribution. Obviously, we’re a little sensitive about media bias and editing at the moment.

If you’d like to listen to the interview in its entirety, without any alterations, this file includes the entire session with VCDL members – nearly 2 hours of question and answer. You’ll even hear the spot where members were asked to sit in silence. Note: if the media player does not appear below, you can also download and listen to the interview here courtesy of VCDL.http://www.gadsdengunsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/katiecouricinterview06182015.mp3

We also ask you, the reader, to please share this post so that we can help combat the misinformation and name calling on both sides.

In truth, this is not a political issue.

It’s not about anti-gunners versus pro-rights people, and it’s definitely not about left versus right, although plenty of people are willing to jump in and turn this into a political platform.

This is about ethics and integrity.

Just by sharing this post with others, you’re helping cut down on the politicizing and ratings-grabbing that happens all over the political spectrum, so please consider using the buttons below to share this article.

We just want to tell the truth.


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Education; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: banglist; couric; demagogicparty; documentary; epix; gungate; katiecouric; memebuilding; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; stephaniesoechtig; vcdl; yahoo; yellowjournalism
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The author of this article has stated that he wants it widely shared, which is why I am not excerpting it. It is an extremely powerful, well done article, by a participant in the original event.

As the audio and video clips do not reproduce on freerepublic, I have added links to them in the article source.

You might want to visit the source, as an acknowledgement of the effort involved.

1 posted on 05/30/2016 12:11:47 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain
and they expected from the stooopid cow, what???
2 posted on 05/30/2016 12:18:29 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -w- NO Pity for the LAZY - Luke, 22:36)
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To: marktwain

This was on Fox MediaBuzz. According to them, she was given the trailer and she approved of it because “the producer did it”.

Basically, she needs to go back to the Today show because she is now discredited as a journalist. One of the oldest tricks in the spin book and not used often anymore because it is so easy to catch.


3 posted on 05/30/2016 12:22:10 PM PDT by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day".)
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To: marktwain
Thousands, perhaps even millions, trust Katie Couric because she’s supposed to be a renowned journalist, and she used that trust to sell all of those people a convenient fiction.

There's a reason that Couric makes $7500 an hour, and it's NOT because she's "perky".

They pulled this same crap with Sarah Palin.

4 posted on 05/30/2016 12:26:10 PM PDT by kiryandil (To the GOPee: "Giving the Democrats the Supreme Court means you ARE the Democrats.")
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To: The Antiyuppie

You incorrectly spelled journalist. You meant to type it PROPAGANDIST.


5 posted on 05/30/2016 12:27:22 PM PDT by shelterguy
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To: marktwain
My ultra-liberal mother could NOT understand why firearms were so bad. She was born and bred in early Phoenix, Arizona.
There was ALWAYS a rifle on it's rack, loaded, course, in their living room. Lol. When one scratched the surface, she ended up being very conservative:
education, then job, then marriage
marriage, THEN sex, THEN children

After my father passed away my mother, at 55, started two courses:

art: water color and etching When she passed away I had all her 65 pieces of art framed and sent to her family and friends.

law: she did four years of night law school, took the bar exam, passed the first time, hung out her shingle and practice family law from 60-80 years of age.
Folks LIKED her because she had MUCH life experience. She had been a counselor and dean at a minority high school. She didn't make any money at it as the usual deadbeats WANT attorney help...for free.

6 posted on 05/30/2016 12:27:39 PM PDT by cloudmountain
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To: The Antiyuppie

Katie Couric is not a journalist. She is on the air. And she is a talking head. So she should rightly be referred to as an airhead polemicist.


7 posted on 05/30/2016 12:29:01 PM PDT by OldNewYork (Operation Wetback II, now with computers)
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To: marktwain

I heard rush play the tapes . It was a dramatic lie what she dis. He then played the NBC cut and paste on George Zimmerman’s 911 call. It was a total fabrication.( I thought he should have sued for millions) Couric is a “has been” . Totally desperate to make her socialist masters happy. She ,like Dan Rather with his Bush smear will both be remembered as liars.


8 posted on 05/30/2016 12:31:01 PM PDT by WENDLE (Why is the FBI dilly dallying? LET'S GO!!)
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To: marktwain

What is VCDL? I love how the current expectation is that everyone is expected to know what every series of letters stands for. It makes the article really hard to read when you have to keep searching for an explanation.


9 posted on 05/30/2016 12:41:29 PM PDT by Yogafist
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To: WENDLE

She needs to be made an abject example of.

Her career needs to be destroyed, so that when “journalists” consider articles about the Second Amendment, gun control, guns, gun safety, or other euphemisms for infringements on our rights, they think “remember what happened to Katie” and tremble in caution.

This is the continuing destruction of the Media Cartel’s control over America. It is long overdue.


10 posted on 05/30/2016 12:47:46 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Trusting Katie Quacker? Sarah Palin could have told you
from bitter experience.


11 posted on 05/30/2016 12:47:56 PM PDT by Twinkie (John 3:16)
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To: Twinkie

Thanks for the reminder. The Palin interview was done over weeks, and carefully edited to do the maximum damage.

This is an important example of how Katie Couric “works”. It should be pointed out to anyone who brings up the Palin interview as an example of Palin’s failure.

It wasn’t Palin. No one can withstand the level of deception and backstabbing that she was subject to from people who were supposed to be working for and with her.

Palin could have dragged the McCain campaign over the top, if she had been allowed to.


12 posted on 05/30/2016 12:52:13 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain
Look, this was obviously not going to be a fair and balanced presentation of the issues.

That boat left the pier LONG ago. I suggest that anybody/outfit that agrees to a TV interview have their own cameras running, even if it's just an smartphone version.

I further suggest that you just decline, as this instance indicates, you'll never get a fair hearing.

13 posted on 05/30/2016 12:55:20 PM PDT by Oatka (Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young.)
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To: marktwain

Aging Katie lies....it’s what all gun grabbers do.


14 posted on 05/30/2016 12:59:52 PM PDT by july4thfreedomfoundation (The GOPe must be defeated.....the sooner the better.)
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To: Oatka

“I further suggest that you just decline, as this instance indicates, you’ll never get a fair hearing.”

VCDL has shown us that accepting, but refusing to be a victim, offers a high risk, but potentially effective way of fighting the “progressive” media cartel.

Look at the effect of this exposure. Likely, Couric’s carreer is ruined. She serves as a warning and example to others. Yahoo now has to work hard to prevent another example from happening. This is as potentially as big as Rathergate. The whole country is being exposed to it, and it shows the entire disarmist movement as based on lies and deception.

Big, big payoff for the risk involved.

The “progressive” left needs to fear us as we have been taught to fear them for the last 50 years.

Then we will have restored “balance”.


15 posted on 05/30/2016 1:02:53 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Like Dan Rather?


16 posted on 05/30/2016 1:08:02 PM PDT by dhs12345
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To: marktwain

And can someone please tell me when the left has been “fair”? A foolish expectation begets a foolish result.


17 posted on 05/30/2016 1:18:41 PM PDT by Boomer One ( ToUsesn)
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To: marktwain

The funny thing is, more people saw Katie exposed as a lying left-wing anti-gun propagandist than ever saw her original propaganda piece.


18 posted on 05/30/2016 1:21:27 PM PDT by ozzymandus
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To: Yogafist

Virginia Citizens Defense League; very active in protecting the right to keep and bear arms in Virginia.


19 posted on 05/30/2016 1:21:49 PM PDT by William Tell
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To: William Tell

They are one of, if not *the* best. AZCDL is essentially a spin-off, and it is fantasic.

All state associations of Second Amendment supporters would do well to emulate them, learn their methods, and duplicate their successes.


20 posted on 05/30/2016 1:28:12 PM PDT by marktwain
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