Reprinted with permission from MediaMatters.

The National Rifle Associations broadcast platform NRATV has launched its latest attack against freedom of the press, this time targetingTheWashington Post, calling the newspaper a fake news outlet and claiming it is where journalism dies.

On July 11, thePostpublished anarticlecalling an NRATVvideoabout political unrest in the U.S. dark. The article noted that the video condemned Democratic politicians, the media and activists as the catalysts for political upheaval in this country, with one glaring omission: firearms. According to the article, the video focused on political discussions around public safety during civil unrest, with less clear connections to Second Amendment rights.

On July 17, NRATV released a responsevideofeaturing NRATV host Grant Stinchfield, who called out thePostreporter by name and slammed him for tell[ing] us we cant have an opinion unless its about guns.

The video also accused thePostof spreading lies about those who disagree with their radical agenda and said the newspaper is pushing organized anarchy that is destroying our country. Stinchfield went on to claim, You people do more to damage our country with a keyboard than every NRA member combined has ever done with a firearm.

Less than one day after the videos release,The New York Times Max Fishertweetedthat the video is edging right up to the line of endorsing violence against journalists, while HuffPostcalledit disturbing.

Despite the mounting criticism, Stinchfield doubled down on his video during the noon edition of NRATVsStinchfieldon July 18, claiming the newspaper uses its keyboards as weapons of destruction:

GRANT STINCHFIELD: TheWashington Postis out of line. They claim to uphold the standards of journalism when, in fact, they use their keyboards as weapons of destruction as they try to tear apart the Trump administration in an effort not just to destroy him, but to destroy America, and it is wrong.

This video is just the latest in a growing number of attacks the NRA has launched against both the press and freedom of the press since Donald Trump won the Republican nomination for president and was ultimately elected. During anOctober 26, 2016, broadcast, Stinchfield characterized dissent against Trump as an assault against the Constitution. A month later, during aNovember 29broadcast, Stinchfield called mainstream media dishonest and downright dirty,suggesting that it is anti-patriotic to report critically on Trump and his transition team, and said that the media instead needs to get on board.

AfterThe New York Timesran anadvertisementduring this years Oscar awards about the importance of journalism, the NRA fired back with its own 75-secondadclaiming Americans have stopped looking toThe New York Timesfor the truth. And in April, the NRAannounceda series of messages against the newspaper, which the organization claims has gone on the offensive to take away your liberties.

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Here Is The NRA's Latest Attack Against The First Amendment - The National Memo (blog)