It seems the journalism profession allows itself a few exemptions to its self-imposed integrity requirement, such that journalists covering exempt subjects are free to misinterpret, misconstrue, and misinform without consequence. From my observation, two broad categories which enjoy this exemption are technology (computers, the Internet, hard science, mathematics, maybe to some extent medicine) and guns.

Back in 1995 I could understand the MSM’s inability to properly grok the Internet. However, it’s 2008 and they’re still getting it wrong. Don’t believe me? Read the mainstream coverage of Microsoft’s recent decision to release more protocol specs to third-party developers without a license agreement or royalty payments. Now go to MSDN and look at what Microsoft actually released. Any resemblance? No, I didn’t think so.

Then there’s the “gun” issue. Stock footage of full-auto AK-47 fusillades when discussing semi-automatic AR-15s, confusing a “pistol” with a “revolver”, the dreaded “high-powered military-style assault rifle” (read: cheap surplus SKS), and on and on. I suspect in most cases there’s a propaganda element to the inaccurate coverage, but I also suspect it’s more basic than that; guns are a topic few journalists are interested in, and thus few are competent to report upon. They’re left to the mercy of “experts” with their own biases and blind spots.

Imagine if a political reporter submitted a story that clearly demonstrated ignorance of the electoral college, or the bill of rights (insert NYT joke here), or the three branches of American government. The storm of ridicule that would inevitable follow would be amusing at least.

But I didn’t write this post to opine about ignorance and bias in the mainstream media. If after the last four years you still regard the MSM as a credible source of information, well, there’s nothing I can say to change your mind. Really I wrote this post as an excuse to make fun of the most glaring bit of anti-gun ignorance since Carolyn McCarthy’s “shoulder thing that goes up” episode on Fox. Behold:

Oh my. Let’s see. The handgun is an M1911-style .45, as issued to our military during WWII and beyond. The 1911, like most handguns, has the safety lever and slide stop on the left side of the gun, and the stock photo the artist ripped off was clearly taken from the left side, but Captain Photoshop really wanted the gun to point to the right; mirror to the rescue. That’s why the writing on the slide is not legible; it’s backward!

Second, the M1911 has a solid trigger extending back into the frame, not a “hook” shape trigger extending down from the top of the trigger guard. Our artist apparently didn’t like the 1911-style trigger, so he photoshopped another trigger in front of the one already in the photo. Nice work.

Third, it appears this 1911 is firing the entire cartridge, not just the bullet. When you look at the cartridge it makes sense, seeing as how those cartridges are 9mm Luger, not .45 ACP, and thus would fit down the .45 barrel casing and all.

Yes, you probably didn’t notice these things looking at the picture, but you have an excuse; you’re just looking at it. Whoever came up with this willfully flipped the image, photoshopped an extra trigger, and pasted 9mm cartridges coming out the barrel. Either the culprit doesn’t give a shit about the accuracy of the clipart on the front page of the paper, or he/she had no idea that level of munging would result in a woefully inaccurate depiction. I can’t decide which is worse.