Firearm User Network

Memes about Kim Rhode and her lack of mainstream media attention have been circulating recently.

It’s easy to blame MSM for lack of pro-gun coverage. It is also inaccurate. First, this ignores the demographics of shooting and pro-gun involvement compared to more mainstream interests, such as sport ball athletes and movie celebrities. MSM does not care about you or your issues. They care about three things:

1. How many people watch/read/use their outlet/broadcast.
2. How much time those people spend on viewing/reading/listening.
3. How many dollars marketers will pay them for access to those viewers/readers/listeners.

The same can be said for all media outlets. Replace the name of any broadcast or print media outlet or news program and this is still true. I’ve found some pro-gun media outlets resistant to publishing information on competition shooting because it doesn’t cater to their readership. If it’s true for pro-gun publications and websites, even though they are focused on the specific niche and demographic of “gun owner” instead of the public at large, then it shouldn’t be surprising that general media at large is disinterested.

This isn’t some nefarious anti-gun plot, it is simply catering to the majority. Gun owners are largely ignorant of organized shooting activity. Non-gun owners are even less aware and interested. This is the simple result of a market in action, not back-room politics trying to steal your guns. If the issue is controversial but of interest to a small minority, it’s probably easier to just avoid dealings and prevent alienating the majority, and especially alienating people and companies buying advertising/marketing trying to reach that general public.

Even among those gun owners that are active, activities such as golf eclipse them by a large margin. Again, the market speaks. This is true for many types of activities. If more people golf and are willing to pay for it, then more golf courses are built and more golf coverage is seen in the mainstream media because more people are voting with their dollars and feet. Gun owners are simply not as active, even when various reports claim that they are.

This is not an anti-gun plot. Garnering publicity and inspiring public interest is a tough row to hoe for every organization.

Common, accepted estimates place somewhere around 100 million Americans as owning at least one firearm. I don’t know why there is such a vast lack of interest in organized shooting events among them but given that there is, shooting will never be a mainstream activity. It’s not politics. It’s not anti-gun policy. It’s the result of the market voting with their dollars and feet.

Read another take here:
http://www.ammoland.com/the-prying-business-of-facebook-and-guns

After Kim Rhode medalled in six Olympics in a row, some claimed her lack of media coverage was due to media bias. However, USA Today, the New York Times, CBS Sports, SB Nation, NBC, WGN, People Magazine, NBC 9News, and the Chicago Tribune published articles about her. Other publications such as Time, Forbes, the Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR published articles about Rhode’s accomplishments that highlighted her views on the Second Amendment.

Tokyo 2020(2021) Olympics

NBC Sports: Shooting Highlights
NBC Sports: Shooting Replays

Shooting Sports USA Wrap up:
U.S. Earns Six Olympic Shooting Medals In Tokyo, Best Performance Since 1964
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2021/8/3/us-earns-six-olympic-shooting-medals-in-tokyo-best-performance-since-1964/

On Her Turf: Olympic Shooter Mary Tucker
An exclusive interview with Team USA Air Rifle Shooter Mary Tucker, who competed in the first medal match of the 2020 Olympic Games. Tucker talks about gender equality in her sport, and how YouTube helped her train. Mary Tucker discusses Olympic, Collegiate, and Women’s rifle competitions.

Wall Street Journal: Mary Tucker

Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/24/womens-10-meter-air-rifle-tokyo-olympics/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/chinas-yang-takes-first-gold-at-uneasy-tokyo-olympics/2021/07/24/0f8328aa-ec5c-11eb-a2ba-3be31d349258_story.html

Insider
https://www.insider.com/us-army-lieutenant-set-an-olympic-record-after-missing-2021-7

ABC News (from AP)
Olympic air rifles turning heads with futuristic looks
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/olympic-air-rifles-turning-heads-futuristic-79080921

Metro (Schneps Media publishes the leading free weekday daily newspapers in New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
https://www.metro.us/olympics-shooting-win-and-yang-china/

Tech Radar: How to Watch Olympic Shooting
https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/how-to-watch-shooting-at-olympics-2020-live-stream-free

BBC Sport
https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/57748989

The Bridge: Olympic Shooting overview
https://thebridge.in/shooting/shooting-tokyo-olympics-rules-regulations-20560
https://thebridge.in/shooting/shooting-tokyo-olympics-preview-guide-schedule-indian-players-22717

Republic World
https://www.republicworld.com/sports-news/other-sports/tokyo-olympics-check-out-shooting-event-details-preview-guide-schedule-indian-players.html

British Olympic Association (Team GB): Olympic Shooting guide:
https://www.teamgb.com/article/shooting-an-olympic-sport-guide/4a5X0mJs0yMuZaE3Lhahza

The Guardian: Gun rights and Gold medals
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/26/gun-rights-and-golds-us-shooters-sweep-skeet-in-tokyo

NBC Today Show

NBC Today Show: Amber English and Vincent Hancock Skeet Gold Women, Skeet Gold Men

Will Shaner:
USA Today
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/07/25/william-shaner-sets-olympic-record-win-gold-mens-10-m-air-rifle/8085530002/
https://news.yahoo.com/william-shaner-u-sets-olympic-071444127.html

Boston Globe:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/25/sports/all-american-shooter-william-shaner-adds-another-gold-us-haul/

Denver Post:
https://www.denverpost.com/2021/07/26/amber-english-skeet-shooting-tokyo-olympics/

ESPN:
https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/31880081/william-shaner-sets-olympic-record-win-10-meter-air-rifle-gold-tokyo

https://news.yahoo.com/usas-william-shaner-wins-gold-074801488.html

Fox News:

https://video.foxnews.com/v/6266801797001

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/us-army-olympian-amber-english-gold-medal-skeet-shooting

https://video.foxnews.com/v/6266801797001#sp=show-clips

https://www.fox21news.com/news/olympic-gold-medalist-and-colorado-springs-native-first-lieutenant-amber-english-returns-home/

Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/shooting-stefecekova-slovakia-wins-womens-trap-gold-tokyo-2021-07-29/

NBC New York: Kayle Browning (USA) and Alessandra Perilli (San Marino)
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/tokyo-summer-olympics/u-s-shooting-kayle-browning-takes-silver-as-san-marino-takes-first-ever-medal/3183668/

https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/us-shooter-kayle-browning-takes-silver-san-marino-takes-first-ever-medal

NPR: Alessandra Perilli (San Marino)
https://www.npr.org/sections/tokyo-olympics-live-updates/2021/07/29/1022160238/tiny-san-marino-population-34-000-just-won-its-first-ever-olympic-medal

MOAA
https://www.moaa.org/content/publications-and-media/news-articles/2021-news-articles/video-a-conversation-with-olympic-shooter-1st-lt.-amber-english,-usa/

Star Tribune: Patrick Sunderman
https://www.startribune.com/tokyo-olympics-patrick-sunderman-farmington-air-rifle/600083645/

How Japan’s gun laws impact competition shooting
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2021/05/25/olympics/summer-olympics/shooting/gun-laws-japan-olympics/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2021/05/25/olympics/summer-olympics/shooting/gun-laws-japan-olympics/

NBC WLTZ 38, WTVM Newsleader 9
https://www.facebook.com/wtvmnewsleader9/

https://www.wtvm.com/2021/07/28/military-matters-numerous-shooters-fort-benning-competing-olympics/

https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=229330505901057

Other non-Olympic news:

https://www.wtva.com/content/sports/All-female-shooting-competition-held-for-2nd-year-in-Blue-Springs-575599251.html

https://citizen.digital/news/inayat-kassam-meet-the-52-year-old-hero-who-saved-lives-at-westgate-and-14-riverside-227173/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/olympics/longterm/shooting/shthist.htm