Katie Couric regrets 'poor decision' to insert pause in anti-gun documentary interview

Katie Couric is upset that an eight-second pause inserted into an interview she did with gun rights activists in the documentary "Under the Gun" has drawn criticism, calling the edit an "unnecessary mistake," according to an individual with knowledge of her thinking.

The individual spoke to TheWrap and said that director Stephanie Soechtig inserted the pause, which critics are calling an example of "deceptive," "appalling journalism."

"This was an unnecessary mistake," the individual told TheWrap. "It did not represent editing someone's sentences, there was no factual error, this is not a mistake that is a substantive mistake. It could have been avoided." He added," This was a poor decision that was made and it involves silence."

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Soechtig also spoke to TheWrap and was unapologetic about the editing choice: "I stand by the film as it is."

"I would never misrepresent someone's point of view and I don't think I did by doing this," she said. "I don't think I misrepresented gun owners or the people featured in the film."

The documentary features members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League taking part in a roundtable, during which the clip appears to capture nine seconds of silence after Couric asks, "If there are no background checks for gun purchasers, how do you prevent felons or terrorists from purchasing a gun?"

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VCDL president Philip Van Cleave told the Washington Free Beacon that Couric "intentionally removed their answers and spliced in nine seconds of some prior video of our members sitting quietly and not responding. Viewers are left with the misunderstanding that the members had no answer to her question."

According to the Beacon, audio of the roundtable confirms Van Cleave's assertion, and reveals that members immediately answered a similar question.

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Others are outraged by the way the activists are portrayed overall in the documentary. The Independent Women's Forum issued a statement on Wednesday in which the organization compared Couric to Brian Williams, saying she "should be fired."

"Katie Couric should be ashamed of herself for her dishonest and distorted reporting on this issue," said Culture of Alarmism Director Julie Gunlock. "She has gone from respected journalist to propagandist for gun control groups ... Like serial fabricator Brian Williams, Couric should be fired. Her tactics have been exposed and Americans should never again trust her to report on these important issues."

Read original story Katie Couric Regrets 'Poor Decision' to Insert Pause in Anti-Gun Documentary Interview At TheWrap