It seems that every pit bull attack reported in the media provokes an immediate reaction from the pit bull activists, who recite the usual litany of talking points:
- The press is singling out pit bulls
- They never report on attacks by other breeds
- Nobody knows if it was really a pit bull
However, a closer examination reveals absolutely no evidence for the idea that the press is carrying out a sinister plot to convince the public that pit bulls are dangerous. If anything, the press reports seem to soft pedal any negative reporting about pit bulls, and often engage in active damage control propaganda efforts on behalf of the problematic breed.
Most pit bull attacks are headlined as simply "dog attacks", and you'd need to read the fine print to find out that it was actually a pit bull attack.
In a similar vein, whenever a pit bull commits a horrific, unprovoked, and fatal attack on a terrified, harmless little dog, the 'journalist' invariably refers to it as "a dog fight"
The standard script for pit bull reporting nearly always includes a closing word from a pit bull activist to remind us that "all dogs bite", and that pit bulls really do make swell pets, "if they are raised correctly".
So no, the media doesn't demonize pit bulls at all. If anything, they seem to run cover for them, to try to soften their image.
Consider the recent nationwide headline this past week: "woman killed by dachshunds" with the articles each featuring the obligatory stock photo of a dachshund. Here is a teachable moment. Let me drop some facts on you:
- The killer dogs were not dachshunds. Full stop.
- According to the vet, the dogs included a pit bull, and 4 pit mixes.
- The 'dachshunds' lie was started by a shelter worker
Here is an image of the attacking dogs:
Statement from the Vet's office:
Conclusion: There is no anti pitbull agenda in the media.
Be advised that shelters lie. That's all you really need to know.
Update - snopes is participating in the pit bull cover up.
Animals 24-7 has an informative article on this. Read here
