Director Stands By ‘Misleading’ Edit in Katie Couric Gun Control Documentary

Days after Katie Couric apologetically admitted misrepresenting pro-gun voices via the insertion of a pause in Under the Gun, director Stephanie Soechtig took a different tack and said she stands by the pause.

In fact, Soechtig suggested the pause is only getting coverage because the NRA fixated on it.

After nearly a week of being excoriated by Ammoland, Breitbart News, NPR, the NRA, and The Washington Free Beacon, among others, Couric admitted the pause had been inserted, and she apologized for it. She posted her admission on the “Under the Gun’s” website on Memorial Day, saying:

As executive producer of Under the Gun, a documentary film that explores the epidemic of gun violence, 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.

Couric explained that the pause was “misleading,” and apologized, saying, “I went back and reviewed it and agree that those eight seconds do not accurately represent their response. … I regret that those eight seconds were misleading and that I did not raise my initial concerns more vigorously.”

So what we have is a gun control documentary in which pro-gun proponents answered Couric’s question immediately. In fact, they not only answered, but even rebutted her. Instead of showing that, Couric and Soechtig stuck in a pause, which made the pro-gun proponents look stumped or unsure. Couric has admitted the pause is “misleading” and says she regrets its insertion.

But according to the Chicago Tribune, Soechtig only regrets that she gave the NRA something on which to focus. Soechtig said, “Had I known those eight seconds out of a two-hour film would give the NRA something to fixate on, maybe I would’ve done something different. But I made a decision, and I stand by it.”

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.