In Episode 29 of District of Conservation, I invited listeners to hear from Stephen Gutowski of the Washington Free Beacon. He is an NRA-certified firearms instructor and a recipient of a 2018 Defender of Liberty award from Second Amendment Foundation.
Why firearms? Excise taxes collected on firearms through the Pittman-Robertson Act help pay the majority of conservation funding that comes from hunters and anglers.
Gutowski has written for WFB since September 2014. What sparked his interest in firearms and subsequent interest in reporting on them? A 2009 visit to the range during a media internship. Though he grew up in Pennsylvania, it wasn’t until he moved to the Washington, D.C. area Stephen’s interest in firearms took form. He noticed there was a serious deficit of gun beat reporters and made it his mission, given his newfound interest in the topic, to help bring fairness to the subject. Now, he’s on a mission to not only inform his readers on the latest news and legislation being considered but to ensure mainstream reporters get their firearms facts right.
Here’s what Stephen discussed:
— How his interest in firearms was sparked by a trip to a range during his Media Research Center internship in 2009
—Why he enjoys covering defense stories and other topics he focuses on at WFB
—How to address the shortage of gun beat reporters
—Why the NRA is the largest gun safety organization in the country
—His goal to teach more reporters about true gun safety on and off the range
—How firearms should be enjoyed by all Americans, not just Republicans
Download this week’s episode 👇
Apple: https://apple.co/2PmKn7q
Anchor: https://bit.ly/2FCu5BO
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Listen to the full episode below:
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