June 25, 2019; New York Times
The New York Times reported yesterday that the NRA has announced the end of live production at NRATV and the severance of ties more generally with advertising agency Ackerman McQueen, which employed all the outlet’s on-air personalities.
“Many members expressed concern about the messaging on NRATV becoming too far removed from our core mission: defending the Second Amendment,” wrote CEO Wayne LaPierre in a missive to members due to be sent out today. “So, after careful consideration, I am announcing that starting today, we are undergoing a significant change in our communications strategy. We are no longer airing ‘live TV’ programming.”
Specifically, the site was mixing a number of right-wing talking points into its content. Of course, there’s also the fact that web traffic to the site was less than impressive, with 49,000 unique visitors in January.
Ackerman McQueen, which the NRA had been paying up to $40 million a year for a variety of services, returned fire, saying they were “not surprised that the NRA is unwilling to honor its agreement to end our contract and our long-standing relationship in an orderly and amicable manner.”
The company added, “When given the opportunity to do the right thing, the NRA once again has taken action that we believe is intended to harm our company even at the expense of the NRA itself.”
Sign up for our free newsletters
Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.
Ackerman McQueen says it “will continue to fight against the NRA’s repeated violations of its agreement with our company with every legal remedy available to us.”
Meanwhile, The Trace is alive and well and hiring a new investigative reporter “to cover the gun lobby and other institutions and people that influence the gun violence debate in America.” According to the ad:
The ideal candidate has proven adept at cultivating sources on a high-profile beat and has a compulsion to regularly file public records requests. It may seem obvious, but we are looking for a reporter who has the tenacity to land big, gripping stories that drive change.
We offer our writers the time and space to dig deep, and the coaching and resources they need along the way. Our partnership model means that Trace reporters get to collaborate with and publish in outlets like the New Yorker, Politico, BuzzFeed, Slate, and the Atlantic.
—Ruth McCambridge
