The New York Times is being mocked after the newspaper appeared to use the wrong photo in an article about guns in America.
The Times shared a link to an op-ed written by the editorial board titled, “America’s Toxic Gun Culture.”
“The AR-15 has become a talisman for some right-wing politicians and voters. ‘That’s a particularly disturbing trend at a time when violent political rhetoric and actual political violence in the United States are rising,’ writes the editorial board,” the tweet stated.
The AR-15 has become a talisman for some right-wing politicians and voters. “That’s a particularly disturbing trend at a time when violent political rhetoric and actual political violence in the United States are rising,” writes the editorial board. https://t.co/xLqthLEkSA
— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) December 10, 2022
Followers of the Times were quick to point out the issue with the photo.
Journalist Dania Alexandrino wrote, “Don’t you get embarrassed of misinforming and looking like idiots? I didn’t realize my Mosberg pump action shotgun ammo looked so much like your ‘AR’ ammo photo. You all are seriously moronic. Stay in your lane. Re-read the constitution! Simple as that.”
🤣🤣🤣Don't you get embarrassed of misinforming and looking like idiots? I didn't realize my Mosberg pump action shotgun ammo looked so much like your "AR" ammo photo. You all are seriously moronic. Stay in your lane. Re-read the constitution! Simple as that. https://t.co/pKn43bP0MW
— 🇺🇸🇵🇷Dania Alexandrino🇺🇸🇵🇷 (@DaniaPeriodista) December 12, 2022
Another user tweeted, “And this is why conservatives balk when liberals try to talk ‘gun control’. You have no clue what you’re talking about. You talk about how bad AR-15s are, but your photo is of shotgun shells – two entirely different types of weapon. Kind of hard to take you seriously.”
And this is why conservatives balk when liberals try to talk "gun control". You have no clue what you're talking about. You talk about how bad AR-15s are, but your photo is of shotgun shells – two entirely different types of weapon. Kind of hard to take you seriously. https://t.co/Y9jKyeNq3W
— Ben Cameron (@bcameron64) December 12, 2022
One tweet joked, “Hide your model 870 wingmasters. The [New York Times] is coming for your shotgun.”
https://twitter.com/King0fZaremb0/status/1602307138994728961
Check out more reactions below:
What do shotgun shells and AR 15 s have in common?
— 🇺🇸 Chris Bray-Texas Forever 🇺🇸 (@CBray1959) December 12, 2022
NOTHING! https://t.co/OEEnaxslu2
You know the ammunition in that pic will not go in a AR15, right? https://t.co/P5mBeGYCGp
— Texas #MAGA (@kylermott) December 12, 2022
The ignorance is something to behold… A story about AR15 and a photo of Shotgun shells… https://t.co/eF0nfApqzV
— K Bates (@KBates2011) December 12, 2022
My AR-15 has a buck shot option 😂😂 according to New York Times. https://t.co/yWnOmZLhNY
— Texas47 (@TexasFreedom05) December 12, 2022
Didn't know they made birdshot for AR15s https://t.co/vrYJMyOmt5
— Lannes ☀️ (@DJLannes) December 12, 2022
No surprise that they use a pic of shotgun shells to promote a piece about AR-15. They are lecturing us about a topic they know little about. https://t.co/tAm76qTkXd
— Lance Edelman (@Lance_Edelman) December 12, 2022
According to the piece in the Times, “A growing number of American civilians have an unhealthy obsession with ‘tactical culture’ and rifles like the AR-15. It’s a fringe movement among the 81 million American gun owners, but it is one of several alarming trends that have coincided with the increase in political violence in this country, along with the spread of far-right extremist groups, an explosion of anti-government sentiment and the embrace of deranged conspiracy theories by many Republican politicians.”
The editorial board claims “understanding how these currents feed one another is crucial to understanding and reversing political violence and right-wing extremism.”
The piece went on to suggest that “institutions and individuals — prominent politicians, for instance, and responsible gun owners — could do far more to insist that assault weapons have no place in public spaces, even if they are permitted in many states, where the open carry of firearms is legal. Public condemnation of such displays is a good place to start.”