RESPONSE FROM WCVB-TV CHANNEL 5
We appreciate your interest and opinion on the Team 5 Investigates report on illegal gun trafficking, and would like to take this opportunity to respond to your concerns.
Some viewers took issue with a sound bite in the report, suggesting that surrounding states don’t require an ID or background check to buy a gun.
If you watch the investigation, we show you how a federally licensed dealer and a private seller at a gun show in Vermont said they were still willing to illegally sell us a firearm “for the right price.” It’s essential to view that comment in the context of our report, which so clearly showed flagrant violations of the law.
We are all aware of the many gun laws. The point of our investigation was to show how willingly some gun sellers will break them.
Other viewers have asked why we didn’t speak to officials with the National Rifle Association. In fact, we did. We made multiple attempts to arrange an interview with the NRA, but they declined. They sent Team 5 Investigates a two-sentence response that we included in the investigation, when we reported that others insist we don’t need more gun laws but better enforcement of the ones we already have.
More than a few of us here at Channel 5 have grown up using firearms in a safe, responsible, and legal manner. Between our personal experience as gun owners and users, as well as our chosen profession as journalists, we, perhaps more than others, feel passionately about protecting our constitutional rights. However, it’s hard not to be appalled by the fact that it was so simple for us to capture on tape blatant disregard for our nation’s gun laws, which negatively affects public safety.
In the months spent researching this report, the reporter and producer had countless conversations with gun advocates, police, prosecutors and criminals.
All agreed that the illegal traffickingof guns is a critical problem that they have to deal with every day.
We value feedback from our loyal viewers and willl keep your contact information if we do additional stories on this issue in the future.
Respectfully,
WCVB-TV
Team 5 Investigates
Scrappleface...right?
Puhleeze. If your reporter(s) witnessed violations of current federal, state, or local firearms laws have the proper authorities been informed?
While I don’t agree with them, I’m supportive of enforcing current laws, even while working to change them. That’s part of the price of protecting this grand experiment.
At the same time, there is an often overlooked responsibility of the media (in my view) to present balanced reportage that fairly presents salient points of view and observations on situations or conditions under review; especially on such emotionally charged issues as this, among others.
I will also let the NRA (I’m a member) know of my disappointment in their poor response to your inquiry.