Sunday, December 07, 2003

NRA a News Organization?

When I was a child and believed in fairy tales I might have bought the concept of the NRA as a news organization but now that I am an adult the whole idea is ludicrous. I have seen the type of information that they put out and to call it news would be a stretch of the imagination. The whole reason they want to do this is so they can put out their ‘information’ just before an election.

The proliferation of information sources offered on the Internet today tends to blur the lines between what is news and what is a blatant attempt at special interest lobbying. The article states that “The NRA is one of the biggest magazine publishers in the United States and provides news over the Internet.” With this kind of reach why do they need to expand to the television? While I might agree with the NRA’s position on some things like gun ownership rights, that doesn’t mean I believe they should be a ‘news organization’ so they can skirt federal election laws.

News is what a chap who doesn’t care much about anything wants to read. And it’s only news until he’s read it. After that it’s dead. Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966)