Post by goomba on Jan 2, 2011 10:05:05 GMT -5
Trial Lawyers, Guns, Money & Ratings
CNBC’s “Remington Under Fire” made for dramatic television, but only told half the story.
By Mark Keefe, AR Editor-in-Chief
12/20/2010
On Oct. 20, 2010, CNBC aired a much-promoted broadcast, “Remington Under Fire,” in which CNBC’s Scott Cohn “documents” unintentional discharges with the Remington Model 700’s “Walker” trigger after “a 10-month investigation.” Much of the show was built around the heartbreaking story of the Barber family of Montana. The death of 9-year-old Gus Barber, shot by his mother as she was unloading her rifle, is the most horrible tragedy a parent and a shooter could ever, ever experience. Mere words cannot describe the loss of such a promising boy.
The CNBC piece was compelling, but told only one side of the story. Essentially it put forward an hour of plaintiff’s evidence from a forthcoming class-action lawsuit. And lawyers who have filed suit or are preparing to sue Remington Arms took leading roles in the show.
Since its introduction in 1962, more than 5 million Remington Model 700s have been sold, and that doesn’t include the earlier Model 721 and 722 or other variants that employ the same trigger design. Made in hundreds of variations, the Model 700 has become extremely popular among hunters, competitive shooters, and military and police organizations. Literally billions of rounds have been fired through Model 700s.
“Investigative journalism” programs of this sort have become rather formulaic. A symbiotic relationship between producers and trial lawyers seeking to profit from an “exposé” based solely on the plaintiff’s side of the story has become the norm. As legal system watchdog Walter K. Olson details in his 2003 book, “The Rule of Lawyers,” this type of programming often plays a key role in mass litigation, both by recruiting plaintiffs and by attacking the defendant’s reputation.
the rest of the article can be found here.
www.americanrifleman.org/articles/trial-lawyers-guns-money-ratings/
CNBC’s “Remington Under Fire” made for dramatic television, but only told half the story.
By Mark Keefe, AR Editor-in-Chief
12/20/2010
On Oct. 20, 2010, CNBC aired a much-promoted broadcast, “Remington Under Fire,” in which CNBC’s Scott Cohn “documents” unintentional discharges with the Remington Model 700’s “Walker” trigger after “a 10-month investigation.” Much of the show was built around the heartbreaking story of the Barber family of Montana. The death of 9-year-old Gus Barber, shot by his mother as she was unloading her rifle, is the most horrible tragedy a parent and a shooter could ever, ever experience. Mere words cannot describe the loss of such a promising boy.
The CNBC piece was compelling, but told only one side of the story. Essentially it put forward an hour of plaintiff’s evidence from a forthcoming class-action lawsuit. And lawyers who have filed suit or are preparing to sue Remington Arms took leading roles in the show.
Since its introduction in 1962, more than 5 million Remington Model 700s have been sold, and that doesn’t include the earlier Model 721 and 722 or other variants that employ the same trigger design. Made in hundreds of variations, the Model 700 has become extremely popular among hunters, competitive shooters, and military and police organizations. Literally billions of rounds have been fired through Model 700s.
“Investigative journalism” programs of this sort have become rather formulaic. A symbiotic relationship between producers and trial lawyers seeking to profit from an “exposé” based solely on the plaintiff’s side of the story has become the norm. As legal system watchdog Walter K. Olson details in his 2003 book, “The Rule of Lawyers,” this type of programming often plays a key role in mass litigation, both by recruiting plaintiffs and by attacking the defendant’s reputation.
the rest of the article can be found here.
www.americanrifleman.org/articles/trial-lawyers-guns-money-ratings/
