Introduction
Gun control is one of the major current issues, and the most recent argument has centered around New Mexico. The state’s governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, has lately ordered for firearms to be banned from being carried in Albuquerque’s public places for a month (“Gun owner,” 2023; “New Mexico,” 2023; “Outrage,” 2023). Grisham’s gun-related directive has received substantial media coverage, although one of the publications appears misleading.
Literature Review
The firearm order in New Mexico has been discussed in various ways. Articles by Politico, the Daily Wire, and the Hill are similar in suggesting that Grisham’s gun control mandate has not been received well by many people (“Gun Owner,” 2023; “New Mexico,” 2023; “Outrage,” 2023). However, the sources are different in presenting the points of contention. Hill states that Grisham was compelled to act after several shooting incidents and depicts accounts of those questioning the order’s constitutionality (“New Mexico,” 2023).
Politico notes Grisham’s readiness to welcome a fight due to the mandate, offers some background information, and shares the narratives of supporters and opponents (“Outrage,” 2023). The Daily Wire does not explain the reason for the directive, communicates Grisham admitting the unconstitutionality of her command, and focuses on people’s defiance (“Gun owner,” 2023). Consequently, the recent news is presented differently by distinct sources.
To determine the reliability of the media coverage, it is essential to conduct fact-checking. The website MediaBiasFactCheck suggests that The Hill is considered among the least biased sources and is primarily accurate (“The Hill,” 2023). Politico is regarded as left-centered, with some prejudice and typically factual information (“Politico,” 2023).
The Daily Wire is estimated to be on the bias scale’s right, with moderate to substantial prejudice and mixed objective reporting (“The Daily Wire,” 2023). It would have been better to consider another fact-checking website, but FactCheck has yet to assess the recent news (“Home,” 2023). Overall, there is a certain predisposition among sources covering gun control in New Mexico.
Among the examined stories, the only deceptive one seems to be by the Daily Wire. This source’s article appears misleading due to its focus on the extreme opposition to Grisham’s order. For example, while Politico suggests that gun-toting protests were peaceful, the Daily Wire emphasizes the participants’ outrage (“Gun owner,” 2023; “Outrage,” 2023). Moreover, the Daily Wire’s narrative may not be completely accurate since it is among the sources with mixed factual reporting (“The Daily Wire,” 2023). Therefore, one should be wary when reading the Daily Wire’s coverage.
Conclusion
As discussed above, the three sources portray the issue in varying ways, with the Daily Wire potentially displaying some bias and depicting the story as entirely opposing Grisham’s mandate. Concerning agenda setting, framing, and priming, all articles can affect the audience. However, the Daily Wire’s coverage presents the order entirely negatively. For instance, considering priming, the Daily Wire does not offer prior context about shootings to interpret the directive’s role (Hoewe, 2020). Consequently, out of the three examined sources, one seems biased.
References
Gun owners in New Mexico openly carry firearms in defiance of ‘tyrannical’ democrat governor. (2023). AllSlides. Web.
Hoewe, J. (2020). Toward a theory of media priming. Annals of the International Communication Association, 44(4), 312-321. Web.
Home. (2023). FactCheck. Web.
New Mexico governor suspends the right to carry firearms in public in Albuquerque. (2023). AllSlides. Web.
Outrage over New Mexico governor’s temporary gun ban. (2023). AllSlides. Web.
Politico – bias and credibility. (2023). MediaBiasFactCheck. Web.
The Daily Wire – bias and credibility. (2023). MediaBiasFactCheck. Web.
The Hill – bias and credibility. (2023). MediaBiasFactCheck. Web.