$12M Defamation Suit Against Kate Couric:

The Guardian is reporting legal action in USA over the 'anti-gun' film 'Under The Gun'.

Pro-gun group the Virginia Citizens Defense League is suing former TV news anchor Katie Couric, television network Epix and director Stephanie Soechtig for defamation over their documentary.

The suit demands $12m in damages following a fruitless round of accusations and half-apologies over the film’s editing.

In Under the Gun, Couric asks several members of the Virginia-based gun lobby: “If there are no background checks, for gun purchasers, how do you prevent felons or terrorists from purchasing a gun?” Nine seconds of silence follow as the interviewees, all of whom are named as plaintiffs, appear to be at a loss for an answer.

But by the VCDL’s accounting, and by the film-makers’ admission, the gun ownership advocates were not in fact silent but answered the question. The VCDL produced an audio recording of the interview published by the Washington Free Beacon that does not track with the footage in the movie.

“The bottom line is that while Katie and crew acknowledged that what they’d done was misleading, they continue to promote and distribute the film,” the VCDL’s Philip Van Cleave told The Guardian.

Marty K.