Every Journalist in Georgia Must Love Killing Deer

In Georgia, a state wracked by drought and educational miseries, local newspapers are involved in a holy pursuit: arguing about hunting. Haw haw, can you believe that reporter next town over don't like hunting? Haw haw.

Romenesko brings us the scandal that is shaking Georgia journalism to its very core: Covington (GA, NATCH) News sports editor Josh Briggs wrote a column that blasphemously came out against murdering gentle woodland creatures, with high-powered guns, for amusement. "Imagine if you were sitting in your car in the drive thru at McDonald's and all of a sudden, you get shot in the neck. How bad would that suck?" Josh writes, evocatively. "I used to hunt, though I never killed a deer. I had a pellet gun when I was younger and would kill birds sometimes. For no reason. Because I didn't know any better. Then I went into the military, learned how to kill people, and everything made better sense to me. Now, I own an AR-15 and am prepared to use it. On unsavory humans. Not helpless animals. Unless necessary. I'll use if for what it's intended for. Survival."

"What a fag," mutters the state of Georgia.

So naturally his own paper's general manager had to write a follow-up column saying "I want to assure each of you that the editorial board and the management of this newspaper support the right of every American to hunt." And of course the Augusta Chronicle's Rob Pavey rushed to the rescue of right-thinking Georgians, with journalism, pointing out that his paper is not owned by same company that owns that hippie paper in Covington, and he welcomes photos of dead animals of all sorts.

Being ready and willing to shoot animals dead is the main qualification for being a journalist, in Georgia.

[Photo of typical Georgia editor: Shutterstock]