Katie Pavlich is the news editor for Townhall.com, a contributing editor to Townhall Magazine, and the award-winning author of the New York Times Bestseller ‘Fast and Furious: Barack Obama’s Bloodiest Scandal and Its Shameless Cover-Up.’ She is an activist for Second Amendment rights who travels to colleges nationwide to encourage respectful gun culture.
You are a news editor and a journalist. How did you get here and what advice do you have for young journalists?
I interned where I work now in D.C. and I saw it as an opportunity that had no limits. I worked extra hours, made my own business cards, and passed them out. I volunteered for stories and treated myself as someone who worked in the field and was not just an intern. I think that is what all interns should do— have no limits. I covered things that other people weren’t covering – especially in the case of ‘Fast and Furious.’ I asked, “Why is this being ignored?” Journalists need to understand that you have to wear a lot of hats: I do blogging; I write original stories; I work on longer investigative stories; I do radio and television interviews; I can take pictures. You have to be a one-stop shop for different kinds of media.
How did writing your book come about and how was that different from journalism?
It was never my goal to write that book. It was a story I was covering and a publisher gained interest and people encourage me to write it. It is another way to get it into a new medium – not all people watch the news or read internet articles. This was a way to get it in front of people that might not have been paying attention. I think the reason it became a book is because it is so complicated, you needed a place to keep all the details of what was going on. It was definitely a learning experience. It always seems impossible until it’s done.
Are you planning on ever running for political office?
We’ll see – the door is always opened. If John McCain has to be wheeled into the Senate, then yes.
You briefly mentioned that gun restrictions have reduced jobs in the U.S. What affect does the gun industry have on the economy?
Guns are a $32 billion industry in the United States. People don’t realize that $4.1 billion in federal excise tax goes to the government from this industry. There is not a lot of thought about what that means. Guns are a huge part of a lot of local industry and thousands of people are employed. People forget that when they get lost in the emotion of the issue.
Do you like traveling to college campuses and talking to students?
I just recently started doing this and I really like it. I can engage people that do not know things about an issue or encourage people to speak up. Not at Hillsdale, but at other schools, some students are afraid to speak up about certain subjects without being intimidated by their professors.
What did you like most about Hillsdale?
I like that it is in a small town. I got to go shooting today, and I love that you have that here. It is great that you embrace it and even have a team. You recognize the competition and discipline in gun culture.
– Compiled by Natalie deMacedo
