Sometimes the local news listens

[CNYCacher]

Earlier this morning, an article appeared on my local newspaper's web site: "Auburn Police say weapons were stolen from vehicles"
Article text is below, but basically it was about some guns stolen from cars in the city.
I posted a comment to the article saying:
"'Auburn Police say firearms were stolen from vehicles' would be a better headline to this story. The term 'weapon' implies a specific negative intent by the user."

Later in the day, I noticed that the article headline had been changed, as well as the first line in the story.

A minuscule victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Don't be afraid to speak up to your local media outlets.

PS. The article is relatively fair as well.

http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2007/11/28/news/local_news/news06.txt

Auburn Police say firearms were stolen from vehicles

By The Citizen staff report
Wednesday, November 28, 2007 9:43 AM EST

Auburn police are currently investigating two incidents in which firearms were stolen from vehicles.

Sometime Monday night or Tuesday morning, a 12-gauge shotgun and a muzzle loader rifle were taken from a vehicle parked on Elizabeth Street, according to the Auburn Police Department.

Someone forcibly entered the locked vehicle by breaking a window, police said.

Also, a handgun was taken from an unlocked vehicle parked in a driveway on Pulsifer Drive sometime during the overnight hours of Oct. 7 and 8.

None of the weapons in either incident were kept in plain view, according to police. Investigators ask anyone with information about either event to call 253-3235 or 255-4707.

Auburn police also requested in a written statement that members of the public use caution when possessing firearms in their vehicles.

“Now that hunting season is upon us, additional persons who normally do not have or transport weapons in their vehicles are doing so,” the APD stated. “We ask that ... weapons are not left unattended in parked vehicles, whether they are locked or not.”

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Cool! "Weapons" was used throughout the rest of the article unfortunately, especially on the part of the APD. Guns/firearms/weapons are used interchangably by some people.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Guns/firearms/weapons are used interchangably by some people.

Along with knives, clubs, brass knuckles and anything else that has variants intended specifically to injure. Weapon is just a very encompassing word.

I don't have a problem when the news uses the word weapon in place of firearm or gun. It's like saying "vehicle" rather than car, truck, bus, motorcycle, etc. I have a problem when they say "Uzi" or AK-47" to describe any type of firearm, regardless of actual model.

If anyone else saw "SWAT", they made an example of this tendency when the chief is giving his press release about the guys that attempted to free the prisoner from the bus. One had used a pistol the other an open bolt SMG, and the chief says ".....armed with AK-47's". Perhaps I read too much into that one, but I kinda took it as the director/screenwriter poking fun.

 

[fastattack]

Good work. I did something similar recently and emailed the editor of our local newspaper complaining about word usage. If we all were more active in this arena, the libs wouldn't be the thought police that they are.

 

[Ed Ames]

Why? I mean... weapons were stolen. Pointing out the type of weapon (firearm) is hardly beneficial.

Cops carry weapons. Guns, knives, batons, tasers, pepper spray... weapons.

 

[rhubarb]

A local rag often reported the use of "assault weapons" during crimes or that "assault weapons" had been confiscated by police. The last straw for me was the article that included the phrase "SKS assault weapon."

I wrote a letter chiding the reporter and educating her about "assault weapons," "assault rifles," the politicization of those phrases and about the use of emotionally loaded language in general.

In the couple of years since that time, I have not seen one single reference to "assault weapon" or "assault rifle" in that paper.

Speak up!

 

[trickyasafox]

CNY- good for you. I doubt the post standard would do much for me if i asked them! it's always satisfying to know you weren't wasting your breath.