I thought that it would be interesting to do a quick and dirty analysis of New Zealand media headlines on the topic of the gun buyback scheme. I wanted to see if their position towards it was overall neutral, positive or negative.
I took last week’s headlines and organised them into three groups: Neutral, Positive and Negative, and this is what I discovered.
There were 8 Neutral headlines on the Gun buyback scheme.
- Newsroom: Does gun buyback strike the right balance?
- Stuff: Storage and transport unclear as banned semi-automatics head to the shredder
- Stuff: Big turnout expected for first gun buyback event: ‘People just want to get the deal done’
- Stuff: Government gun buyback scheme funding boosted to $208m with ACC money
- Herald: Gun buyback scheme covers hundreds of firearms and parts, but excludes business losses
- 1News: Extra $40m injected into gun buyback scheme, as Government explains how compensation process will work
- RNZ: Banned weapons: Government details compensation
- Newshub: Gun buyback scheme: How it will work
There were 7 Negative headlines on the Gun buyback scheme.
- RNZ: Competitive shooters upset about gun buyback scheme say it’s ‘killed’ their sport
- Stuff: Leading New Zealand ammunition seller warns of ‘revolution’ over Government’s gun buyback scheme
- Newstalk ZB: Gun buyback not the answer to stopping terror
- Newshub: Gun owners say buyback advice was ignored
- RNZ: Gun owners angry, disappointed over government buyback scheme
- Newshub: Why some gun owners feel ‘very annoyed’ by buyback plans
- Newshub: ACT takes aim at Government’s gun buyback scheme
There were 0 Positive headlines on the Gun buyback scheme.
It seems that while Jacinda Ardern may have benefited from lots of positive overseas headlines for her ill thought out and rushed gun ban, here in New Zealand the media coverage of it is anything but positive.
Another problem with the legislation, related to banned ammunition, is likely to be revealed in the media this week, and it could not be more embarrassing for the government.
