Media Bias - Guns - Violence
- Gene Johnson
- Aug 28
- 3 min read
Guns, Media Bias, and Violence: Looking at the Real Numbers
When Americans hear about violence in the news, it almost always centers on firearms. Mass
shootings dominate headlines, while other forms of violence often get ignored. To have a
serious conversation about crime, we need to look at the facts,what weapons are used, who
owns guns legally versus illegally, and how America compares to countries where firearms
are heavily restricted.
What the Data Shows
According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program (2022), about 77% of U.S.
homicides involved firearms, with handguns being the most common. Knives or other
cutting instruments accounted for 10%, blunt objects for 3%, and hands/fists/feet for
4%. The remaining 6% involved other methods such as poisoning, fire, or asphyxiation (FBI,
2022).
Mass Violence and Why Guns Dominate
Nearly all U.S. mass killings involve firearms. A Congressional Research Service report
(2022) found that from 1999 to 2021, almost every mass public shooting used guns—most
often handguns.
But in countries with strict gun laws, attackers adapt. In China, mass stabbings in schools
have left dozens injured (BBC, 2021). In France, the 2016 Nice truck attack killed 86 people
without a single firearm (New York Times, 2016). The weapon changes, but the intent
remains.
Legal vs. Illegal Gun Ownership
The Pew Research Center (2023) reports that white men are statistically the most likely to
legally own firearms. By contrast, much of the gun violence in U.S. cities involves weapons
obtained outside the legal system.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (2019) found that about 90% of criminals did not obtain
their gun from a store or gun show. Instead, weapons came from theft, black markets, or
straw purchases. This distinction matters: most crime guns bypass the legal system entirely.
Media Bias and Public Perception
Mass shootings in suburban schools dominate coverage because they are rare and shocking.
Meanwhile, urban gun violence often receives far less attention. For instance, Chicago
recorded over 600 homicides in 2022, most involving handguns (Chicago Police
Department, 2022).
Yet these ongoing deaths are overshadowed by single mass shootings, leading to public
misconceptions. In reality, mass shootings account for less than 1% of U.S. homicides
(CRS, 2022).
Comparing America to Other Countries
Countries with strict gun laws often still experience high levels of violence:
Japan reports fewer than one firearm homicide per year nationwide (UNODC, 2021).
The UK sees low gun deaths but significant levels of knife crime (UK Home Office, 2022).
Mexico, despite strict gun laws, has one of the world’s highest homicide rates, largely due to
cartels and illegal gun trafficking (UNODC, 2021).
The lesson: gun bans reduce gun deaths, but not necessarily overall violence.
The Real Path Forward
The data shows:
Guns account for most U.S. homicides, but crime guns are overwhelmingly obtained
illegally (BJS, 2019).
Legal gun owners are not driving America’s violence problem (Pew, 2023).
Media coverage exaggerates rare mass shootings while downplaying everyday urban crime
(Chicago PD, 2022).
Other countries with strict gun bans still face mass violence using different weapons (BBC,
2021; NYT, 2016).
If America truly wants safer communities, the focus should be on illegal gun trafficking,
gang violence, mental health, and poverty—not punishing law-abiding citizens who
follow the law. Yet, every mass shooting by white males receives relentless national media
coverage. In contrast, illegal handguns cause more deaths overall and
disproportionately affect Black Americans (BJS, 2019; Pew Research Center, 2023). This
selective coverage could be seen as a form of institutional bias, as the media often ignores
the ongoing crisis of urban “black-on-black” homicides (Chicago Police Department, 2022).
References & Credits
Published Sources
Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2019). Background checks for firearm transfers, 2019–2020.
Chicago Police Department. (2022). Crime statistics. https://www.chicagopolice.org/statistics-
data/crime-statistics/
Congressional Research Service. (2022). How to define mass shootings: Potential policy
implications (Report No. R48276). https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48276
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). (2022). Crime in the United States, 2022.
New York Times. (2016). 2016 Nice truck attack.
Pew Research Center. (2023). Key facts about Americans and guns.
UK Home Office. (2022). Knife crime statistics. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/knife-
crime-england-and-wales
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime). (2021). Global study on homicide 2021.
BBC News. (2021). List of school attacks in China.
AI Assistance
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (GPT-5 mini) [Large language model]. Used to generate draft
content, organize information, and structure arguments for the blog and newsletter on U.S.
gun violence.
Grammar & Style Assistance
Grammarly, Inc. (2025). Grammar, spelling, and style editing for blog and newsletter content.
Author Contribution / Idea Originator
Johnson, G. D. (2025, August 27). Personal communication regarding gun violence statistics,
media coverage, and article direction. (Cited in-text only)
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