In an April 23, 2012 article titled Our National Media Don't Deserve Their 'Mainstream' Title in Investor's Business Daily, Representative Lamar Smith pointed out that "the opinions expressed by the media are neither widespread nor accepted by the majority of Americans. To call today's national media "mainstream" is inaccurate." As an example, Smith pointed out that "Gun control is [an] issue where the national media are not "mainstream." According to a study by the University of Connecticut's Department of Public Policy, only 25% of journalists listed the Second Amendment "right to own firearms" as being "essential." A Gallup poll conducted last year shows public support for the right to bear arms to be at an all-time high of 73%.
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