Katie Couric: Sorry for deceiving you on guns

Katie Couric

Katie Couric is now taking blame for a deceptive edit in an interview she had with pro-gun activists in an apparent attempt to embarrass those who support gun rights.

On the website of “Under the Gun,” a documentary film that explores the epidemic of gun violence, Couric, who is the project’s executive producer, stated:

I take responsibility for a decision that misrepresented an exchange I had with members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL). My question to the VCDL regarding the ability of convicted felons and those on the terror watch list to legally obtain a gun, was followed by an extended pause, making the participants appear to be speechless.

When I screened an early version of the film with the director, Stephanie Soechtig, I questioned her and the editor about the pause and was told that a “beat” was added for, as she described it, “dramatic effect,” to give the audience a moment to consider the question. When VCDL members recently pointed out that they had in fact immediately answered this question, I went back and reviewed it and agree that those eight seconds do not accurately represent their response.

She also expressed some remorse for the edit, saying, “I regret that those eight seconds were misleading and that I did not raise my initial concerns more vigorously.”

Radio host Rush Limbaugh came down harshly on Couric, whom he described Tuesday as “not a nice person.”

“It was a totally fake and phony edit, and she’s now taking responsibility for it because the pressure obviously got to be so intense,” Limbaugh said.

“I bet you there will not be a single story on how many sponsors she’s lost because of this. Not a single one. Nor will there be any stories on how many sponsors lost here and wanted to come back and we said ‘no’ to. There won’t be any coverage like that at all, ’cause that’s not the point of the coverage.

“So they’re gonna try to cover it up for Katie and limit the damage to her as much possible. That’s why she feels confident going out there and taking the hit ’cause she knows it’s gonna all be over by the next day. And no harm, no foul, and she’ll still be doing what she’s doing the same way she’s doing it. In other words, getting away with it – except when she’s caught.”

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Last week, Stephanie Soechtig, the film’s director released a statement trying to explain why she inserted the long pause of nothingness: “There are a wide range of views expressed in the film. My intention was to provide a pause for the viewer to have a moment to consider this important question before presenting the facts on Americans’ opinions on background checks. I never intended to make anyone look bad and I apologize if anyone felt that way.”

Although the documentary cut out the responses, the film’s website is now providing the transcript, showing the responses were immediate and substantive:

KATIE COURIC: If there are no background checks, how do you prevent … I know how you all are going to answer this, but I’m asking anyway. If there are no background checks for gun purchasers, how do you prevent felons or terrorists from walking into, say a licensed gun dealer and purchasing a gun?

MALE: Well, one, if you’re not in jail then you should still have your basic rights and you should go buy a gun.

COURIC: So, if you’re a terrorist or a felon …

MALE: If you’re a felon and you’ve done your time, you should have your rights.

MALE: The fact is we do have statutes, both at the federal and state level that prohibit classes of people from being in possession of firearms. If you’re under 18 in Virginia you can’t walk around with a gun. If you’re an illegal immigrant, if you’re a convicted felon, if you’ve been adjudicated in same, these things are already illegal. So, what we’re really asking about is a question of prior restraint. How can we prevent future crime by identifying bad guys before they do anything bad? And, the simple answer is you can’t.

And, particularly, under the legal system we have in the United States there are a lot of Supreme Court opinions that say, “No, prior restraint is something that the government does not have the authority to do.” Until there is an overt act that allows us to say, “That’s a bad guy,” then you can’t punish him.

FEMALE: I would take another outlook on this. First, I’ll ask you what crime or what law has ever stopped a crime? Tell me one law that has ever stopped a crime from happening.

Nora Ryan, the chief of staff for EPIX, the cable channel that aired the documentary, told the Washington Free Beacon, “Under the Gun is a critically-acclaimed documentary that looks at the polarizing and politicized issue of gun violence, a subject that elicits strong reactions from people on both sides. EPIX stands behind Katie Couric, director Stephanie Soechtig, and their creative and editorial judgment. We encourage people to watch the film and decide for themselves.”

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