Gun-Related Classified Ad Not Allowed in the Paper

[Guardsman89]

I wanted to place the following ad in the local newspaper (an Indiana Media Group paper) using their on-line ad tool:

Buying Guns. Do you have a gun in your closet collecting dust? I may want to buy it. Call ______ for info.

Nothing appeared in the paper so I sent an email to find out what was up. I got the following reply:

I am so sorry, but yourad will not run. I checked with our director, and we only accept firearm adsfrom store dealers. Thank you very much. TJ

I'm very interested in the groups responses to this. Why exclude this type of ad? They run ads for auctions with guns in the sale. Is there a statue prohibiting this or just a company policy?

 

[Double T]

Because of liability issues. They only advertise for companies who run NCIS checks. It's a CYOA kind of thing.

 

[DRob]

Indy Star

The Indpls Star has had the same policy for years.

 

[Classic]

Ebay does similar, no firearms and only accessories that would comply with Kalifornia rules. Gunowners and hobbyists have been living with this and lots of other little discriminatory little rules for too long.

 

[schafe]

Recently,(in the last year to year and a half) I have seen firearms ads in the classified section of the Bloomington Herald Times...a newspaper with a history of anti-firearm, anti 2A activism. I hadn't noticed them before.
Seems their position might have softened, now that hard economic times have hit the print media?
If thats the case, I would expect to see other newspapers follow suit.

 

[Guardsman89]

I've emailed the paper back to inquire. My thought process is that they advertise guns in teh context of auctions and they advertise gun shows wherein people buy, sell and trade firearms without FFLs and background checks. I'll let everyone know what I hear back (if I hear back).

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” --Elie Wiesel

 

[shibumiseeker]

Recently,(in the last year to year and a half) I have seen firearms ads in the classified section of the Bloomington Herald Times...a newspaper with a history of anti-firearm, anti 2A activism. I hadn't noticed them before.
Seems their position might have softened, now that hard economic times have hit the print media?
If thats the case, I would expect to see other newspapers follow suit.

I have seen firearms ads in the HT off and on for many years. They go from allowing them to not allowing them seemingly at random.

 

[96harley]

The media for the most part is not firearms friendly.

 

[NHT3]

Local Southside papers in Indy refused the same type of ad from me for the same reasons, so much for freedom of the press. It seems it only free if they agree with what you are doing.

 

[BBSparkle]

I used to check the Herald Times every week for gun ads when I lived there in 2009ish. I don't think it's anything too new.

 

[nicajack]

Just try to anything against the 1st amendment and they will scream their heads off. But they are too righteous to even allow the 2nd to exist. I have been boycotting the Star for about 12 years or more over this issue....

 

[Clay]

meh, their paper, their rules. Start your own if you dont like it I guess.

on that note, the Tribune Star runs gun ads on a regular basis. Even had one for a guy looking to buy brownings and colts or something, for a long time recently.

 

[femurphy77]

The local rag in Martinsville will run your ad, see 'em in there all the time.

 

[schafe]

I used to check the Herald Times every week for gun ads when I lived there in 2009ish. I don't think it's anything too new.

I probably shouldn't admit this, but I've subscribed to that rag for more than thirty years. I just don't remember there being regularly appearing gun classifieds untill recently. Maybe I'm just noticing the uptick in gun trade in general...who knows? But I am old enough to still remember it as The Herald Telephone, too, so I have an excuse.

 

[ghitch75]

I probably shouldn't admit this, but I've subscribed to that rag for more than thirty years. I just don't remember there being regularly appearing gun classifieds untill recently. Maybe I'm just noticing the uptick in gun trade in general...who knows? But I am old enough to still remember it as The Herald Telephone, too, so I have an excuse.

i remember when it was the Telephone too.....there has always been gun adds in there.....i bought a few in the 80's and 90's out of the Times/Telephone...

 

[Muzzle Flash]

Most papers up north will not run gun ads, but the Bargin finder does.

 

[Guardsman89]

To the Tribune's credit I did receive the following reply to my inquiry as to why they would not run my ad:

TJ told me that you were questioning not being able to runyour ad in the Kokomo Tribune.

When handgun laws tightened up we (as a company) made thedecision to only accept firearm ads from local dealers, Auctioneers (who haveto follow a set legal process) and gun shows which also have to file legaldocuments and follow a process for their sales. The liability is theirs.

Because the laws on rifles and shot guns are not asrestrictive we do allow private parties to run ads to sell those.

I do apologize that we can’t help you and thank you for yourinterest in running in our paper. Please let us know if we can help you withsomething else.

My reply to the reply was as follows:

Thanks very much for your reply. I understand your policy and will revise my add to indicate only rifles and shotguns. However, please consider the following:

1) At gun shows unlicensed people buy, sell, and trade handguns to other unlicensed people. There is no process to follow, no background check, no paperwork tofile when one private individual sells a gun to another private individual at a gun show. How is running my ad any different from running a gun show ad? In my case, a person sees the ad, calls me, sells a gun to me. In the case of the gun show, a person sees the ad, goes to the gun show, and sells a gun to me. Your paper made the sale possible in both cases.

2) There are 15 deaths (accidentaland intentional) per year for every 100,000 guns in America (Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania). There are also about 15 deaths (accidental and intentional) for every 100,000 registered motor vehicles (U.S. Census Bureau). This means motor vehicles are just as dangerous (or safe) as guns! Will you also ban auto ads from your paper?

3) Indiana is a gun friendly state and many of your readers are both gun owners and law abiding citizens. The people you limit with your policy are the good guys. Do you really think someone with evil intent is going to place an ad in the paper to find a gun? Criminals don't think that way.

Again, thank you for your reply. Please do consider my points and reconsider your anti-handgun policy.

















.