This is going to be a (hopefully) quick hitting post that all hunters can empathize with and it deals with the news media. I just got done sending out an email to a local news anchor concerning a story she posted today regarding coyote hunting in North Carolina. Now I want you all to check out that link and give it a read, especially you North Carolinians, and tell me what you see wrong with it. If the title isn't obvious that no research was done (or was disregarded to provide a more "controversial" headline) then I don't know what is. The fact is that coyote hunting is already allowed in North Carolina. It's as plain as black and white in the regulations digest, unless reading comprehension is not your strong point. The other big issue with this news story is that either a state wildlife employee was misquoted or they have no clue of the regulations in our state, both of which are cause for dismissal in my opinion for either the news anchor if the reason is the former and/or the wildlife employee if the latter. Now-a-days bloggers are bemoaned by the mainstream media for not being held accountable for the news they break or the information they provide, which is a direct slap in the face to me when I see simple fact checking not done on a regional news story. I hope the anchor takes my email to heart as she reads the corrections to the mistakes in her story I pointed out and makes the necessary revisions. I commend her for bringing our growing predator issue to light but she needs to be more clear in what she is saying; I hope her mistakes don't come from being biased and not getting the whole truth to the non-hunting public on purpose. As hunters we fight an uphill battle in the court of public opinion and when the facts are not accurately reported it makes that battle even harder.
-C.B.
-C.B.
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