We believe very strongly in giving credit where credit is due. And the Washington Post definitely deserves credit for this:
No, there haven’t been 18 school shooting in 2018. That number is flat wrong. https://t.co/MxQJ9BWSYi
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 15, 2018
There are too many school shootings, yes, but it's important to deal in facts. Everytown purposely misleads the public on a daily basis.
WaPo: "Everytown has long inflated its total by including incidents of gunfire that are not really school shootings."https://t.co/LPOxwptCql
— Nick Jacob (@nicktjacob) February 15, 2018
WaPo completely crushes the bogus "18 school shootings so far in 2018" stat. Bottom line: the Everytown folks are flat out propagandists and liars. https://t.co/Qt3yLpzmDE
— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) February 15, 2018
“This,” the [Everytown for Gun Safety] tweeted at 4:22 p.m., “is the 18th school shooting in the U.S. in 2018.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders’s tweet including the claim has been liked more than 45,000 times, and one from political analyst Jeff Greenfield has cracked 116,000. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted it, too, as did musicians Cher and Alexander William and actors Misha Collins and Albert Brooks. News organizations — including MSNBC, ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, TIME, MSN, the BBC, the New York Daily News and the Huffington Post — also used the number in their coverage. By Wednesday night, the top suggested search after typing “18” into Google was “18 school shootings in 2018.”
It is a horrifying statistic. And it is wrong.
Recommended
John Woodrow Cox and Steven Rich go on to systematically dismantle Everytown’s bogus statistics and methodology. Definitely read the whole thing.
https://twitter.com/RobProvince/status/964236173760704513
Indeed. As fake as fake can be. And kudos to the Washington Post for trying to curb its spread.
The point is that misinformation is always bad, regardless of its intended use. Good work, @washingtonpost on calling out “fake news” when you see it
— Steven Brownell (@Brownell1Steven) February 15, 2018
Now, which mainstream media outlets will follow suit?
This number has been used freely by multiple media outlets yesterday and today. Fox Business, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, and ABC have spread this stat. Malpractice. https://t.co/cKsSadpDlg
— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) February 15, 2018
I encourage prominent media reporters to correct this misleading stat that has been widely spread, and do a lot to enhance their credibility on a touchy issue. Otherwise they come off as advocates and are less likely to change hearts and minds. https://t.co/wFtAvJOyV9
— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) February 15, 2018
Isn't that what this is about? Do you want to effect change? Or do you want to preen and destroy your own credibility? Seems like a slam dunk to me. https://t.co/jQbikO0ibj
— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) February 15, 2018
It certainly should be.
Sampling of media pushing Everytown’s debunked 18 school shootings talking point pic.twitter.com/2f1W1OrMSF
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) February 15, 2018
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) February 15, 2018
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) February 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/NoahCRothman/status/964246648711974912
Oh, surely.
Look: To be clear, no one is arguing that there’s an acceptable number of school shootings. It should go without saying that one is one too many. But misrepresenting the facts — or outright lying about them — does no one any favors.
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Related:
There have been too many school shootings — but how many depends on whom you ask
BRAVERY! MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle won’t let truth stand in the way of pushing gun control agenda
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