Bernie DeGroat

About the author: Bernie DeGroat is the media relations officer at the University of Michigan Business School.

Gun rights advocates often blame the media for antigun bias. Ironically, this bias actually helps the progun National Rifle Association (NRA). The often extremely negative media coverage of the NRA provokes gun rights sympathizers to swell the ranks of the organization. The NRA, in turn, uses membership funds to support a powerful lobbying arm that fights gun control and successfully pushes progun legislation in state and federal capitals. In this case, media bias actually helps the very cause it is trying to hurt.

The recent onslaught of unfavorable media coverage given to gun rights advocates and the National Rifle Association (NRA) [in 1999] is actually a boon to NRA membership and will help increase its influence...