Katie Couric Slanders Gun Owners In Doc; Rewarded By NBC With 'Today' Hosting Gig

FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2016 file photo, filmmaker Stephanie Soechtig, left, and journalist Katie Couric pose for a portrait to promote the film, "Under the Gun", during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The film will debut on May 15 on Epix. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)

In May, Stephen Gutowski of the Washington Free Beacon uncovered a deception in the Katie Couric documentary, ‘Under The Gun.’ He reported on how the filmmakers deceptively edited one particular scene to make it appear as if gun owners were flummoxed by a question asked of them, by Couric.

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From his story:

At the 21:48 mark of Under the Gun a scene of Katie Couric interviewing members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun rights organization, is shown.

Couric can be heard in the interview asking activists from the group, “If there are no background checks for gun purchasers, how do you prevent felons or terrorists from purchasing a gun?”

The documentary then shows the activists sitting silently for nine awkward seconds, unable to provide an answer.

However, raw audio of the interview between Katie Couric and the activists provided to the Washington Free Beacon shows the scene was deceptively edited. Instead of silence, Couric’s question is met immediately with answers from the activists. A back and forth between a number of the league’s members and Couric over the issue of background checks proceeds for more than four minutes after the original question is asked.

When this was revealed, was there a mea culpa? Was there an apology? Of course not. Here is the statement, director Stephanie Soechtig issued after being called out:

“There are a wide range of views expressed in the film. My intention was to provide a pause for the viewer to have a moment to consider this important question before presenting the facts on Americans’ opinions on background checks. I never intended to make anyone look bad and I apologize if anyone felt that way.”

Erik Wemple of the Washington Post was so underwhelmed by this declaration; he said the following:

In the years we’ve covered and watched media organizations, we’ve scarcely seen a thinner, more weaselly excuse

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And what of Katie Couric? How did she respond? By lauding Soechtig:

“I support Stephanie’s statement and am very proud of the film.”

Very proud of taking part in a deception that does nothing but slander Second Amendment advocates as dunces who cannot answer a simple question? That’s terrific. Apparently, NBC thought it was no big deal as they’ve hired Couric to fill in for Savannah Guthrie on the ‘Today’ show in January:

Katie Couric is returning to NBC’s “Today” show for a weeklong fill-in stint at the morning program’s anchor desk next month.

Couric will be back alongside Matt Lauer for the week of Jan. 2, according to people at the morning program who are familiar with the plan but not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Couric will be substituting for Lauer’s current on-air partner, Savannah Guthrie, who is on maternity leave after giving birth to her second child Dec. 9. Guthrie recently signed a new long-term contract with “Today.”

When are journalists ever going to face the kind of punishment they deserve for this sort of behavior? There is zero accountability. And the media is going to lecture the rest of us about “fake news?”

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