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This week's PW cover story is bad journalism. Sorry.
PW
This week's PW cover story is bad journalism. Sorry.
 |
| PW |
I don't do hit pieces for the sake of it, and I don't relish — at all — taking shots at my colleagues and fellow writers around town.
And I don't know, or have any personal beef whatsoever with Jon Campisi, the author of this week's Philadelphia Weekly cover story, “Who's Packin' Heat in Philly.”
But to call that story half-baked would be generous ... and I won't be generous: It's one of the most irresponsible uses of ink and bandwidth this fair city has seen in a while.
I say this not because I am critical of the story's subjects (although I am), who not only proclaim the joys of walking around packing heat themselves, but actively promote casual gun use among others and oppose attempts to curb it (including opposing attempts to take guns away from people who let them get stolen from their cars).
Not because I think the topic isn't relevant, or the author's subjects don't merit journalistic exploration (it is, and they do).
Not because I think gun ownership or use is inherently wrong (I don't).
Not just because of the silly glorification of the authors' subjects — "He wears his gun as well as he rocks his navy blazer," or the obtuse quotes – "For me, guns become very academic," and "It's kind of hard to practice Buddhism when you're dead," and fawning, unquestioning representations of their opinions: "Dillon understands how guns can be demonized in a city like Philadelphia ... but he says it's important not to blame an inanimate object for society's problems."
Not just because the author used the phrase "so-called 'assault rifles'" as if the very idea of semi-automatic weapons being made for the purpose of killing were absurd.
But because this is bad reporting.
And if you want to do bad reporting, don't do it about something as serious as handguns.
I won't go point by point, but here are a few particularly low moments:
"One might expect police officers — who see rampant gun violence everyday — to be offended that people are looking to protect themselves. But a canvassing of city streets shows they're the first to admit they can't be everywhere at once. One Northwest Philly bike cop who spoke anonymously says he sees absolutely nothing wrong with a citizen carrying a handgun for protection."
After "canvassing of city streets," the author produces two comments, one from one anonymous police officer, the other from one Captain William Fisher, who merely says, "I really don't think it matters what our feelings are ... you have a right to bear arms" — a statement of fact, not opinion, and by no means a ringing endorsement of packing casually.
What the reporter neglects to say is that urban police forces — in Philadelphia and elsewhere — have been vocal supporters of tighter restrictions on handguns, with Chief Ramsey joining mayor Nutter in efforts to institute tighter gun laws here.
Including laws regarding straw purchases, an incredibly important part of gun control which the author barely mentions, burying the single reference in a long sentence leading up to Captain Fisher's lukewarm comment:
“During an April rally in front of the Shooter Shop in Kensington, where religious protesters gathered to decry urban gun violence, and specifically call for firearm dealers to sign a code of conduct that would aim to cut down on straw purchases (the act of someone who can legally buy a gun doing so for a prohibited person), another police officer said ...
Huh? What was that you said about straw purchases?
That an article about urban gun-use would skip so lightly over straw purchasing — which, according to the city's figures, accounts for a whopping 46 percent of all guns used in Philly crimes — is bad enough.
But also unmentioned in the article are the number of stolen and illegal guns recovered annually by Philadelphia police alone (more than 5,000); the unintended consequences of handgun use, like the fact that American children are 16 times more likely to be murdered, 11 times more likely to commit suicide with a gun, and nine times more likely to die from a firearm accident than children in 25 other industrialized countries; or a slew of other reasons to consider tougher gun laws.
This is the kind of lazy that borders on propaganda.
Speaking of which, how about this whopper:
"[Gun enthusiast David Laden] Â… compiled statistics that showed a drastic drop in Philadelphia murder rates between 1990 (503 homicides) and 2001 (309 homicides) which coincided with the issuance of a greater number of carry licenses for private citizens."
The notion that the issuance of carry licenses somehow caused the decrease in homicides is so laughably absurd I'd be laughing – if it wasn't printed in an otherwise respectable magazine's cover story for thousands of people to read.
The declining murder rate also happens to have coincided with the demise of big-hair rock: Correlation, duh, is not causation. Even if Campisi's subjects are too thick to get that, he shouldn't be.
Last is the issue not of accuracy but of taste: in a city where hundreds of people die to gun violence or are assaulted, robbed, raped, or intimidated by people with guns; in a city where police officers are killed by criminals whose guns are sometimes burgled from the likes of Campisi's subjects; and where jackasses keep shooting people on purpose or accidentally for stupid, jackass reasons — this article isn't just bad, it's offensive.
Nothing personal.
Cripple Fight!
Amen.
How about not taking the cheap shots at Campisi, Bykofsky, et al., and simply state that you disagree with their positions?
This day's CityPaper post about PW's cover story is bad writing. Sorry. "What the reporter neglects to says" "but a here are a few particularly low moments" "What the reporter neglects to says is" This is the kind of lazy writing that borders on illiteracy. Nothing personal.
Alex, thanks as always for your helpful comments – I'm so flattered that you seem to have a web alert for me. And Jen, I don't think I'll get into this more than to say I don't think I take cheap shots at all: I think I take good and careful ones. I even think that's part of my job - as is putting my name, real and true, behind my words. Have a nice weekend, - Isaiah
Isaiah, You make very valid points. I'm just confused how that became the cover story? Didn't anyone else see those issues? And, I apologize for "aLex" being more concerned about typos than the incredibly important content. Thanks for writing this piece, even if it wasn't comfortable to do so. -Ryan
It is no problem at all Isaac. - aLex, not Alex
Alex, as someone so focused with typos... you should capitalize properly.
tHAt'S JusT ThE NamE THEy gAVE mE.
Isaiah, Well said and thank you for posting. One of the biggest issues I had with that time-waster is it ignored the entire reason for the rally. A responsible reporter could (and I might even say bolster his argument for responsible gun-ownership)simply have explained the code of conduct that was presented to the Shooter Shop. Nothing about doing away with guns, or the right to conceal carry (he also failed to mention people were open carrying at the counter-protest) but simply trying to reduce straw purchasing to cut down on the illegal guns on our streets. Which i can only assume everyone involved in the conversation could agree would be helpful.
Wow, you practically rewrote somebody else's article. Good job. Your beef is obviously with illegal guns. But instead of writing about how you could solve that problem, all you do is criticize what the author did or didn't do. Realized or failed to realize. Guess what? Everybody with a brain realizes that guns in bad guys' hands is bad um kay? Campisi recognizes straw purchases as problem with Philadelphia crime. Yet you siht on him for bringing up the subject. Would you rather he not bring it up at all so you can point out that he didn't? I for the life can't see why you wrote this piece. It was not educational or helpful. It actually seemed like you didn't like the fact that this guy got the cover story. You sound a little salty about the whole thing.
You have no anti-gun agenda whatsoever do you Mr. Thomas? You kept repeating "Not because of this, because I don't", then went on and spew a bunch of poorly compiled anti-gun statistics, typical anti-gun statements, agenda-laced finger pointing underneath your journalistic "integrity". Clearly you don't own a gun, don't have a license to carry, don't like guns, and know nothing about gun rights; otherwise, you'd know about the straw purchasing issue and how absurd that protest was. You'd also know that "assault rifle" is a political term intended to malign semi-automatic rifles, made for PROTECTION and sport. You clearly didn't have any problem make a stand on a semi-auto rifle are made "for killing", so let me once again call you out on the fact that you are an anti-gun ignoramus on this stand as well. What does stricter gun laws have anything to do with the article in the first place? What does the PPD and the mayor desire to add more laws to infringe gun rights have to do with the article either? These people are licensed BY THE PPD to carry. You'd know that if you care to even explore the topic, even in the shallowest details. Clearly you were hoping Campisi find someone at the PPD to say "we don't want law abiding citizens to carry because we can be everywhere to protect them" or something equally absurd in your twisted anti-gun mind. No doubt there were some correlation vs. causation arguments there, but they HAVE been shown elsewhere that increased issuance of licenses equals to lower crimes. What makes you think the article's subjects, young professionals, are too thick to see the differences as whatever assertion made were by 1 subject and not all? "Even if Campisi's subjects are too thick to get that, he shouldn't be"...Wow! No intellectual elitism asserted here, is there? Finally, you absurdly blamed the interviewed subjects as a potential source for illegal guns, through burglary of all things. Can we say blaming the victim here? You also hold them responsible for negligence shootings (that's right, if you know anything about guns, there is only NEGLIGENT shooting, no shooting is EVER accidental), then grouped law abiding gun carriers together all in one breath with the cause of "people die to gun violence or are assaulted, robbed, raped, or intimidated by people with guns; ... police officers are killed by criminals whose guns are sometimes burgled from the likes of Campisi's subjects". So Mr.Thomas, you sure don't have any agenda against the topic at all do you sir? Clearly you have no counter arguments to the reasons why these young professional hip urbanites are carrying to protect themselves so you went on with personal attacks instead. The irrational anti-gun elitism, masked as "journalism" is so thin, it's offensive.
My apology for calling Mr.Thompson Mr.Thomas....he's definitely not that tall.
What's there to explain? 8 out of 10 are ALREADY required by law, the other 2 are illegal!!! Why would he need to mention open carry at the counter protest? Campisi happened to find an officer at the protest that went on records to say he doesn't have any problem with citizen's right to carry. He could have found him in front of a Dunkin Donuts...would you have wanted him to tell you what specials they are running that day?
Thomas gets about a 2 out of 10 on his whiney rant.
Thomas/Thompson BFD!
"My apology for calling Mr.Thompson Mr.Thomas….he’s definitely not that tall." Hahaha - very true, PW Reader. Listen, I'll just put out there one more time that while I have plenty of criticisms of the gun industry and particular gun policies, I don't have an anti-gun agenda. I have a pro-good reporting agenda. My post was, no doubt, harsh – perhaps too harsh, and I certainly don't mean to insult Mr. Campisi personally. I think the initial conceit of his article - that middle-class urbanites are packing, apparently more, - was interesting. But the article also attempts to get into concealed carry as a 'movement,' and that's where I think it is too uncritical and gives its subjects too uncritical an ear, especially for an issue as serious as guns in our city. I understand that good people get guns and use them responsibly. I understand why they'd want to get them. But purchase laws don't always know good from bad or responsible from not, and nearly half the gun crimes in this city are carried about by weapons purchased legally, according to police statistics. What's the answer? I don't know: but to not at least ask that question is, in my opinion, neglectful. And it plays right into the hands of the very powerful and lucrative gun industry. Have a nice holiday weekend, everybody.
Horsepucky Isaac. You saw another paper field 80 comments and appointed yourself Good Reporting Czar with Butterfly Wings. That's okaleedokalee. Summer Guide = compelling literature. -A.O.
Not really a donut guy so the specials would not have appealed to me. The reason I see the explaining the code of conduct is because there is clearly misinformation regarding what the code is asking, what is already law, and the difference between something simply not being required, and something being against existing statute. A simple analogy: Just because it is legal to drive 25 miles down a small back street in the city, doesn't mean it is good practice. Asking your neighbors to agree to only drive 20 out of consideration for the people that live on that small block simply seems like good practice. It is not illegal to ask them to in good faith change their conduct to make the street safer. And when the NRA encourages people to open carry at a counter-protest I happen to think it begs mentioning. Full Disclosure: I do not own a gun, but I would if I had the disposable income. However, most my family (rural Kansas) own multible handguns, shotguns and hunting rifles. Whenever we visit, we head out to one farm or another and spend a great afternoon shooting things. I am decidedly not anti-gun, but have known too many gun-related issues in the city to not think there could be better ways to stem the flow of illegal guns into the hands of criminals who have to do little more than pay someone a small amount of money to go and buy a gun for them. Smply put, there is an illegal gun problem in this city, and legal purchases contribute to that problem. And changes can be made to help slow that flow.
I've spent the last 20 minutes searching for this claim: "Straw purchases account for 46 percent of all guns used in Philly crimes". The percentage itself is a problematic statistical summary. Conviction vs. dismissed charges? Did they exclude the straw purchases themselves for included it in "gun crime" to double up on the number? Most if not all guns were purchased legally in the at some point. The actual figures need to be published and validated without political agenda from the city government itself. In order for the police to know that the gun was a straw purchased, they MUST have known who purchased it in the first place. If they have done their job enforcing straw purchase laws and judges are tough in sentencing the purchasers, do you think the rate would be that high? One of the major issues is the ridiculously light sentences for violators. Why don't people protest in Harrisburg for tougher sentences, in front of judges' houses, parole board's houses, and straw purchaser's houses? Regardless, the PW article had no need to ask the question about straw purchasing anyway, because it's not about gun purchasing. It's about people like me and you, and those who make up a significant part of the city, who carry every day for protection...and know one knows. They are not the straw purchasers, robbers, killers, thugs, like what the media make anyone with a gun out to be. If you and the media believe that guns can be used for good, how come other than the 2007 article cited in this PW article, there have been no other articles portraying gun owners in positive lights until this one? Talk about 1-sided political agenda by the media. Let's talk about the gun industry. The gun industry's total revenue is $3B/year. This includes sales to government and law enforcement agencies. This is the same revenue amount as the exercise equipment manufacturing industry. Compare that to the $700B/year oil industry, $250B/year car industry, $200B/year industrial chemical industry, $40B/year tobacco, $21B/year brewing, $14B/year security system, $90B/year lumber...as a matter of fact, go to Hoovers research and click on Industries tab then "Industries Overview" link. The gun industry is one of the smallest industries out there. According to 2007 stats for Fortune 500 companies, the highest profit margin industry is 28.8% of revenue, oil company's margin is 13.7%. While I am not able to find the profit margin for the gun industry, but I highly doubt it's more than oil. Even IF at 10% profit, divided over 200 gun companies, I hardly call it a lucrative industry. There are more people killed by cars daily than guns. Most of these "killings" are done by typically law abiding citizen. Negligence and stupidity are two primary culprits. We know to blame the drivers and why aren't we blaming the car industry for making the cars and oil company putting gas in the cars to make them move? As for your problem with calling this a "movement", it's a lot closer to the truth than you think. Four of the subjects in the PW article got into gun and carry in the past 3 to 5 years. I know MANY young professionals who carry and have just gotten into owning and/or carrying in recent years, if not recent months. If you don't believe me, stand outside of Philadelphia Archery and Gun Club or The Firing Line and take a survey. This "movement" is in parts correspond to the Libertarian and Independent views that a lot of younger people find them more politically aligned to. Perhaps Mr.Campisi could explore that aspect further, and just about every politicized aspect of the article even further, but as you well know, there are only so many pages to print on. Maybe you can pick up where he left off about politics? The better topic to write about though would be, why aren't we enforcing existing gun laws in the book and hand out tougher sentences instead of making new ones? How about an article on City Paper on the gun culture of young urbanites: sporting, target practice, skeet and clay, defensive pistol shooting (IDPA), long range rifle match, 3-gun match, rifle building and customizing, social meet & greets...ignoring politics altogether if you really "understand that good people get guns and use them responsibly".
As a former resident of Kensington, I think your article is a necessary criticism of Campisi's article, both in terms of content and "reporting" style. Thanks :)
Thank you Mr. Thompson for this powerfully written piece. In particular, thank you for mentioning the advocacy against straw purchasing. A movement involving many people in this city, religious and non- religious. A movement that brought attention to straw purchases at Colosimo's gun shop in 2009. You are right Mr. Thompson, about the responsibility of a journalist, it is not to be taken lightly. The importance of journalism in the closing of Colosimo's gun shop was paramount. As reported by a few periodicals in this city, including a Sep. 26th Inquirer article, federal authorities were already aware of the straw purchases at this particular shop but it was the public pressure that lead to the authorities actually stopping purchases at that shop. Journalism can change the tides (Gulf of Tonkin, Watergate, etc.) and in this current age of widespread instant information, that sometimes gets lost. Thank you for reminding us of the importance of all journalism, in particular free public written works, and conversational works, such as this one between you and Mr Campisi, on important issues.
"this article isn't just bad, it's offensive." Which of the two articles were you talking about? Obviously a history lesson is needed here. Kennesaw GA? After reading this, I am glad I live in the south. Honestly man, how did you ever make it past paper boy? Oh nothing personal.
After a banner year for gun sales (God bless Obama!), the FBI just announced a 7.2% drop in murder and a 5.5% drop in violent crime.
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/prelimsem2009/table_1.html
Once again, what relevance is straw purchasing to young professionals carrying guns daily for personal protection in this story? Just because Campisi found a police officer at the protest, it gives no relevance whatsoever to the story. If you are so interested in it, I am sure City Paper will be more than happy to indulge in the next article as it seems they are eager to do something about straw purchasing. The foundation of the 10 points is a database, which violates federal laws. Video taping violates privacy. Forcing signing a non-binding feel-good 10 points that includes 8 that are either required by the ATF or already conducted by the shop is patronizing. Going 20 in 25 MPG zone analogy is faulty at best. Do you go around making drivers sign a 10-point "common sense" driving paper? The closer analogy would be asking car dealership to sign a similar 10-point to curb drunk drivers. The NRA encourages people to OC at counter protest? Can you cite the NRA memo on this because I didn't see one. Even if they DID, what's wrong with OC? People who OC tend to have more activism roles and aware of what's going on when it comes to infringement of rights. It's kind of hard to express your gun right at a protest carrying concealed. How, again, is mentioning this in one way or another relevant? You just wanted to bring the "NRA" up as a buzz word for "gun lobbyist" to invoke puppet master. That is a typical anti-gun attitude. Diane Feinstein, one of the biggest anti-gun politicians, if not the biggest, has a carry permit. Even having a permit and carry doesn't make you not an anti-gun person. Saying you're not anti-gun, doesn't make you so. Having shot before, doesn't mean anything. It's what you do, force people to do, opine, write, and say that make you anti-gun. My reply to Mr. Thompson below pointed out plenty of examples why he is anti-gun. Here's another common anti-gun term: illegal guns. There are no "illegal" guns, only illegal sale of guns and illegal USE of guns. When you focus on the object, you lose. When you focus on the crime, you win. Even if guns are completely banned, it will be like drugs. There isn't a "1 gram a month" and yet virtually anyone can get drugs. What makes you think that it will be different with guns and these 10 points? I feel like a broken record here: ENFORCE EXISTING LAWS TO THE FULLEST EXTEND!!! Read the NFA and UFA and see how many gun laws we have already. Ask yourself instead WHY violent offenders keep coming back on the streets. Protest the judges for giving out light sentences, protest the parole board for letting violent criminals out early and repeatedly. File for information, find out who the straw purchasers are and protest in front of their houses. FOCUS ON CRIMES, not on guns!
Hello Isaiah, I am Al from the PW Article. Plenty comments have pointed out your anti-gun and anti-gun rights stand, but I would like to address the rather harsh "silly glorification of the author's subjects" charge, particularly regarding my quotes in the article. I graduated Drexel with a 4.0 in Bioscience & Biotechnology. I'm by nature academic and scientific, to say the least. I approach virtually every subject, including my hobbies in photography, astronomy, RC helicopter, and shooting academically. I enjoy learning using the spectrum of tools for each hobbies: the variation in lenses for my camera, coaxial and collective pitch helicopters, refractor, reflector and Schmidt-Cassegrainian telescopes and a wide range of eyepieces, and the many types of handguns and rifles. I enjoy learning how to operate a variety of guns, knowing how they work differently. I also build and customize the AR15 rifles, the most popular of the so-called "assault rifle" platform that, as far as I know, rarely or ever have been used in any shooting or crime. When I teach new shooters, it's a 5-gun session, where I go over the various make/models, trigger actions, safety differences, calibers, operational and usage techniques. This allows for a new shooter to find the gun(s) that fits him or her the best. Being a responsible gun owner means that you need to study gun laws. There are hundreds of prohibitions and exceptions when it comes to purchasing, owning, transporting, licensing, and carrying firearms. I spend a lot of my time discussing various laws online, in person, and to gun owners and new shooters all over the country. I analyze raw statistics and read studies on the topic. I am nearly always up-to-date on emerging gun policies and debates. I'm often engaged in discussions regarding gun rights with people who are dead set on taking them away. So you see, while it may not be true for all gun owners out there, it's academic for me in many ways and for a lot of gun owners I know. I'm a Buddhist, that is who I am. Being a Buddhist has nothing to do with owning or carrying a gun for self-defense. In the interview, I followed "it's hard to practice Buddhism when you are dead" with "it's hard to practice ANY religion when you are dead". That quote and the fact that I am a Buddhist meant convey that I am not a paranoid freak and even someone with spiritual tendency recognizes the need for self-defense. My parents are both Buddhists and my dad is a Zen scholar for nearly 50 years. They too are purchasing a gun for home defense next week. By the way, if you can find sutra references or teachings with regard to the practice of Buddhism and self-defense, you may want to contact the Shaolin Temple, whose development of its "kung fu" was for the very purpose of self-defense since ancient time. Killing can be a consequence of self-defense, but it's not the intention. If you believe in the idea of karma, you need to realize that it has to be dispensed in one manner or another, especially in a life threatening situation, of yourself or innocent bystanders. Just as I won't hold the police for justify shootings, I won't hold myself morally responsible for the same either. Jon Campisi sat down with me and my wife for 2 hours, where I conveyed pretty much the same information I wrote here. He didn't glorify us in the article. If he treated other interview subjects as he treated me and my wife, in all likelihood he didn't glorify them either. I'd be more than happy to discuss with you in details on either one of these aspects, as well as anything regarding gun laws and gun rights, especially why nearly everything you said in this blog is anti-gun and anti-gun rights in one way or another. If you are interested in finding out the "academic" nature of gun ownership, I'll be happy to arrange for a session at the range. You can contact Jon Campisi for my number/email. Al
[...] — Finally, in cross-media catfight news, and inspired by the Philadelphia City Paper’s calling-out of the Philadelphia Weekly’s cover story on local gun culture (I hope that’s an [...]
So I don't have a problem with those responsible people owning guns but I do have a problem with those who should not have guns being allowed to purchase and use them. So far, "no gun rights supporter" (I like how only those who pay their NRA dues and actually excersize their right to purchase guns can be considereed a gun right supporter) has yet come up with a solution this. I could buy a gun. I have no criminal record. The question is am I a responsible person enough to carry one. My quick temper could very well find use for the weapon that becomes very comfortable in my grip. Again, I have no problem with gun ownership. I just wish there were a way for making sure responsible people owned those guns. I don't think a criminal background check and a valid ID are enough for that.
Hello Brandon, Not true at all about NRA members being the only supporters of gun rights. I'm a member, my wife isn't. A LOT of gun owners and supporters are not NRA members and some even hate the NRA. Being a gun right supporter is simple: read the existing laws, know what they are, stop asking for more laws that will do nothing to prevent criminals from obtaining firearms while infringing the fundamental rights of the people to arm themselves for self-defense. As a matter of fact, you don't need to be a gun right supporter. You only need to be a rational individual who believe that fundamental rights are important and that any infringement on those rights are questioned without political manipulation or personal emotion based on media-produced "evident". I'm asserting this over ALL fundamental and constitutional rights, not just the right to bear arms. You can't place value judgment on "responsibleness" as a criteria for ownership. It's subjective. You clearly (falsely) hold the gun to be the culprit. Your quick temper could very well find use for a knife (like numerous slaughtering using knives of school students in China recently), or baseball bats, or any other "weaponizable" objects, including hands and fists, really. If you keep blaming the gun, you will eventually want to ban it. It's getting to that already in New Jersey, California, and several other states. It will be like banning drugs: only the criminals will be able to get it. Restricting gun rights and gun ownership, by any further means, and as it already severely restricted, will only benefit the criminals. You sound like you actually care about the problem, but please do read up on all the facts (especially existing laws) and laws in severely restricted states and their detrimental consequences to gun rights, before you actually try to think about a solution. Al
Do you really think everyone has the right to bear arms? If not, how do you define who doesn't have that right.
Government, limited by the constitution, defines who loses rights. Don't tell me you didn't know that!
The post is really informative and straight forward.
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