NRA News: That’s Not The Show I Know

I read with interest an article in the LA Times entitled Alarming news from the NRA — via a calm, steady voice. I learned that an LA Times reporter was writing a story about NRA News Cam and Company, from watching the show the day Noah Bierman of the LA Times was visiting the studio.

With respect to Mr. Bierman, neither his description of Cam and Company, nor of the host Cam Edwards —that calm, steady voice— described the show or the host that its frequent viewers have come to know. I am not just a frequent viewer of the show, I am a frequent guest —logging over 50 appearances in the past 3 years.

Bierman’s article quotes Tim Johnson from Media Matters as calling Edwards “a constant purveyor of misinformation,” without providing any examples. I would describe Edwards as someone who is a stickler for the facts, and as someone who brings national attention to local news and allowing us to tell our stories.

Cam and Company was the first media outlet to cover the 2013 Colorado gun-control bills and subsequent successful recalls of two Colorado State Senators. What started as a local story became national news, as citizens fought back against what they saw as their government not listening to its citizens.

During the recall elections, Cam and Company traveled to Colorado Springs to broadcast the show live on election week. This brought together even more local guests to provide a richer reporting experience to people following our Colorado recall story.

The other major omission from Bierman’s article is how Cam and Company has been on the leading edge of reflecting the change in the demographics of gun owners. Women gun owners are the demographic group growing the most quickly, and the guests on Cam and Company have always reflected that change. A reader of Bierman’s article, who has never seen the show, might conclude that the stereotypes of gun owners are correct. Those stereotypes are simply not accurate.

While I appreciate some of the accurate characterizations in Bierman’s article, I hope this brief blog will add additional context to the reporting about Cam and Company —a show many of us count on for accurate reporting on Second Amendment news.