Coming out from the shadow? NZ airsofters going public.

[The Saint]

I don't really trust the media to get our message out clearly and god help us if they do the report on one of their slow weeks.

At my old anime club, we had two occasions in which we were featured in some sort of report on anime (mostly due to our size, around attending 200 members around that time). First time it was on CBC or something, second time was on the KW Record. First occasion, they just filmed one of our showings and called us a cult. Second occasion, someone from the newspaper came in, interviewed us, and after all that called us anti-social and wierd. Sure, we've got people at the club we wouldn't really use as poster child for the community, but they are in the minority and I'm pretty sure they weren't even seen. Did it matter? Nope.

If we ever do a publicity campaign, we should avoid being the topic of a news report. There's a difference between between publicity and good publicity. Look at the gaming community. What do they usually make the news for? Video game violence. What actually brings them positive publicity? Fund raising for good causes.

[Amgoosen]

Originally Posted by The Saint

I don't really trust the media to get our message out clearly

that sums it up right there.

[Freedom Fighter]

Originally Posted by The Saint

I don't really trust the media to get our message out clearly and god help us if they do the report on one of their slow weeks.

At my old anime club, we had two occasions in which we were featured in some sort of report on anime (mostly due to our size, around attending 200 members around that time). First time it was on CBC or something, second time was on the KW Record. First occasion, they just filmed one of our showings and called us a cult. Second occasion, someone from the newspaper came in, interviewed us, and after all that called us anti-social and wierd. Sure, we've got people at the club we wouldn't really use as poster child for the community, but they are in the minority and I'm pretty sure they weren't even seen. Did it matter? Nope.

That is the way it is. Unless it's unusual and negative, there is very little public interest and the media caters to what the public wants ... things that are taboo.

With our luck they'd probably focus in on some perv like Droc or the like

For those of you who think otherwise, your so gullible it's not even funny.

[Teiwaz]

I've seen a number of very good media reports on airsoft, this NZ one case in point. Do you guys have any examples of bad ones?

The anime one doesn't count, because you guys *are* all weirdo cultists.

[The Saint]

Originally Posted by Teiwaz

The anime one doesn't count, because you guys *are* all weirdo cultists.

Way to stereotype there, you violent, muscle-bound, gun-crazy, Rumsfeld-loving, ultra-rightist, militant surviver nut indoctrinating Canadian children with deadly weapons training.

[lyphe]

I'm amazed at how many people are discussing this when it was much more thuroughly discussed a little while back.

[Freedom Fighter]

Originally Posted by lyphe

I'm amazed at how many people are discussing this when it was much more thuroughly discussed a little while back.

Okay your right ... no one should ever bring up anything that has been discussed before.

[thephenom]

Originally Posted by Teiwaz

You guys are nuts. "Oh noes! The Soccer moms are out to get us!"

Between the "sky is falling" secrecy, refusal to talk to the media and through them the public at large, and the general alienation of newbies here and on the field, airsoft's going to remain a little secretive unknown thing just like you want.

But when "little Jimmy" goes and gets himself shot for doing something stupid, they're going to find airsoft anyway, 'cuz guess what? We're all over the internet, the first place people go to look up anything. And on that day we'll have NO prior positive public exposure.

People do things in secret because they know they're wrong. That's the message you guys keep sending with your paranoia about media exposure. And what's the government going to ban? An open activity where members are visible, contributing members to society, or that thing done by a secretive cabal in the back woods which nobody's ever heard of?

Governments ban things like Airsoft guns because they're under the impression that there's no legitimate use for them. We HAVE to show them that there is one.

Thumbs up to the New Zealanders. It was a good report, they got across what they do well, and managed to make their government's absurd categorization of automatic airsoft guns look ridiculous.

Get your facts straight before trying to make an argument.

Airsoft isn't banned in this country, we don't live in Australia.

And what's a legitimate use for airsoft? For a bunch of gun freaks who likes to play dress up and play shoot them up? (That's how most people view us) If this goes to the media, you can bet on it having a worst spin than that.

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by Teiwaz

I've seen a number of very good media reports on airsoft, this NZ one case in point. Do you guys have any examples of bad ones?

The anime one doesn't count, because you guys *are* all weirdo cultists.

The CBC one maybe? I'm pretty sure you weren't around for that.

[Bob the Angry Potato]

Originally Posted by Teiwaz

I've seen a number of very good media reports on airsoft, this NZ one case in point. Do you guys have any examples of bad ones?

The anime one doesn't count, because you guys *are* all weirdo cultists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uSea...arch=akte%2006

Originally Posted by Casey_Cole

The first few sentences have something to do "with school children showing their guns to their schoolfriends while in the classroom."

"There was a run-in with the police, and the boy said "now gives death" ?!!?!? or something like that. Something to do with giving death anyway..."

"They have been banned from schools as ther police couldn;t tell them apart from real weapons. (I think.)"

"Question - is airsoft right for young children?"

Man in white suit - "I think children having guns of any sort is bad."

Dcotor (der Artz) - "That was not what I was expecting"

The number of shops/number of weapons in the airsoft shops in germnay is close to 1 million.

Martin - the kid - is said to have said "that lots of children have them because guns are cool"

Something relating the guns to "federation (possilby organised) criminals"

"They can have guns up to 0.5J (doesn't sound right) and they are free to buy as long as they are over 15 (ZOMG!!1!)"

"Here you can buy a gun for your under-15 year old!"

"In another shop we see two under-15's buying airsoft weapons - they are complete military nuts - and are only 12!"

"We never shoot people who aren't at events"

"you can buy them quite cheaply"

Chipmunk (hehe) in green shirt - "what's the problem?"

Man in white suit - "they're just like real guns - just like all pistols."

Man in white suit - "We have a lot of problems with these guns because they look so realistic."

"Every weekend they make war on each other"

"They shoot each other with little plastic balls"

Man gets shot - "OOOOOWWWW!"

Laughter - made to sound like they are taking the seriousness of the guns too lightly.

Man who got shot in finger - "It's not my life, it's not breaking my leg. No sports are totally safe"

Scientist - "These little balls could cause injuries - you'd need to wear the right protective clothing."

When he shoots through a CD - "Pfff. That's very worrying for me."

"That would go straight through your skin."

"It goes 1cm in and we're still letting children use them?"

They specifically record a kid sweraign at a skirmish... - "Scheisse!"
... and another person being hurt - "OWWW!"

Shows them the broken lens - "You see what these things can do?"

Scientist - "For children? No. Definitely not. It's not a children's game."

"Hundreds of weapons are avilable for children to buy every day - they are free to buy."

Smarmy git - "Should we allow our children to own these dangerous guns? The problem for the police - is that these are currently legal. They are all over - in the countryside and in Berlin."

Doesn't sound good...

(I think most of this is right)

CC

Originally Posted by Rec

That report was a big thing here, many teams in the airsoft community were asked to work with the TV station. We all denied, because in Germany, a TV report about guns can't be anything positive for our hobby. But of course there are always little kids or other idiots that want to be on TV and so they finally found these people. What the 'scientist' said that it's oh-so powerful - bull. That lab looks like the men's room of the university...

Regarding the laws: no gun is allowed to be fully automatic. Guns are classifieds as guns when their muzzle-energy is >0,5J, which most AEGs and GBBs are. Under 0,5J guns are classified as toys and are thus allowed to shoot F/A. Also, these toys may be carried in public, which actually is a big problem: all the kids are playing in public places, causing concerned citizens to call the police. In the report a state police chief says that he's worried that some day someone might get shot by an officer, because he won't be able to tell if its a real gun that someone is packing. Basically, we (the more "serious" players) want these 0,5J guns to be banned (or, even better, the carry), since it's them causing all the trouble, which makes airsoft look bad as a whole.

The report indeed is anti. It's easy to make Germans believe that (even toy-)guns are baaad, it's best to ban them all, look at our history, blah blah...

Originally Posted by elchinator

The report made the situation here look like there is a problem with toy guns as a whole. They are too strong, too easy to obtain and certainly too realistic. Considering the fact they mostly showed springers, I wonder what they would have said about my GBBs (or any other - legal - airgun)...
The "scientist" and his test was a joke, the kids stupid (one twelve year old was reciting his lines, which is easy to hear) and the report in all just rubbish. Only at the very end they came to the true objective point - ban carrying replica weapons in public. And stop whining....

You were saying? The media came to local players asking for people to help do a 'positive' report for, it came back as utter shit.

Proof enough- it's not the only time this has happened.

[hattrick]

Im telling you, rock this boat and somone is bound to push you overboard.

[Teiwaz]

Get your facts straight before trying to make an argument.

Airsoft isn't banned in this country, we don't live in Australia.

Um... Duh? I was saying when the issue comes on the table from some kid doing something stupid, the government takes public interest into consideration before handing down a ban.

The youtube report was in... uh... Klingon. I think.

From the transcript and feedback, instead of trying to influence the report, the major teams turned them down. The report got made anyway, it's just that the news agency had to find a bunch of idiots (ooh, a "Slayer" t-shirt. Classy!) who don't know anything about it or were little wieners to talk to them, and surprise surprise, it turned out badly for airsoft. So this is an example of why we shouldn't talk to the media why?

Is the CBC report online anywhere? And did the community cooperate with it, or not?

[Bob the Angry Potato]

Originally Posted by Teiwaz

Um... Duh? I was saying when the issue comes on the table from some kid doing something stupid, the government takes public interest into consideration before handing down a ban.

The youtube report was in... uh... Klingon. I think.

From the transcript and feedback, instead of trying to influence the report, the major teams turned them down. The report got made anyway, it's just that the news agency had to find a bunch of idiots (ooh, a "Slayer" t-shirt. Classy!) who don't know anything about it or were little wieners to talk to them, and surprise surprise, it turned out badly for airsoft. So this is an example of why we shouldn't talk to the media why?

If I'm not mistaken, I posted a translation and an explanation from German players right below it.



The major teams turned them down because it'd muck up either way. There was a hidden agenda, and the teams knew it.

From what I know, a lot of people, upon hearing a little about it, don't like Airsoft. At all.

"What if a criminal gets one? What if you put someone's eye out?"

There's no way the media could put it in a good light without a lot of prodding in the right direction, running to them blindly would not work.

[Teiwaz]

Originally Posted by Bob the Angry Potato

If I'm not mistaken, I posted a translation and an explanation from German players right below it.

Yes, which I referred to in the post. But it only covers the first minute or so.

The major teams turned them down because it'd muck up either way. There was a hidden agenda, and the teams knew it.

From what I know, a lot of people, upon hearing a little about it, don't like Airsoft. At all.

"What if a criminal gets one? What if you put someone's eye out?"

There's no way the media could put it in a good light without a lot of prodding in the right direction, running to them blindly would not work.

And so they waived their right to be heard. Not prodding them in the right direction gets us this. If we don't supply them with the right information, is it reasonable to blame them to get it wrong?

Everybody refuses to talk to them, so we get all the scary blurred-out hidden camera footage. Of COURSE people are going to be afraid of that. If you aren't open about this stuff, and if you run around wearing a mask in your interview, surprise! People will think you're doing something wrong and have something to hide.

Showing us the terrible outcome of a report which airsofters refused to have input on doesn't make a very good argument for having us do the same thing in the future.

[ILLusion]

The CBC IS available somewhere, and yes, some important players of the west coast scene were present in the video, including footage from a BCAC event as well as interview with Peter Kang.

Although the overall spin on that video didn't come off as good NOR bad (IMO), it did leave a taste in the viewer's mouth that there are some military gun nuts out there who love to dress up every weekend in soldier gear and run around shooting each other.