Media bungle Obama's gun control move

Journalists covering President Obama's executive actions on firearms this week revealed their ignorance of existing gun laws, as many incorrectly reported that dealers have been using gun shows and the Internet to legally evade federal standards on background checks.

From the New York Times to the Associated Press, news of Obama's impending action on gun violence resulted in several stories claiming falsely that the law does little to regulate gun show and online sales.

"[F]aced with clear legal limitations on his authority, Mr. Obama will take modest steps that stop well short of the kind of large­scale changes to the gun trade that he unsuccessfully sought from Congress three years ago," the Times reported. "That legislation would have closed loopholes that allow millions of guns to be sold without background checks at gun shows or in online firearm exchanges."

The Associated Press claimed in a breaking news alert: "Obama moves to require background checks for guns bought from dealers online, at gun shows."