A spokeswoman for US pro-gun group the National Rifle Association (NRA) has claimed journalists "love mass shootings" because they deliver good ratings.
Dana Loesch made the comments at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an annual gathering of politicians and activists from the US right-wing.
"Many in legacy media love mass shootings. You guys love it," Ms Loesch told the crowd.
"I'm not saying that you love the tragedy. But I am saying that you love the ratings. Crying white mothers are ratings gold to you."
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Ms Loesch's comments come a week after 17 children were gunned down at a high school in Florida. Many of the survivors have become fierce gun control advocates, and confronted Ms Loesch at a town hall meeting organised by CNN prior to her appearance at CPAC.
She told CPAC attendees the crowd at the town hall meeting wanted to "burn her".
"They cheered the confiscation of firearms. And it was over 5000 people. I had to have a security detail to get out. I wouldn't have been able to exit that if I did not have a private security detail.
"There were people rushing the stage and screaming 'burn her'. And I came there to talk solutions."
Ms Loesch was hired as NRA spokeswoman last year, and made a splash in a series of adverts in which she claimed US schools taught kids that President Donald Trump "is another Hitler" and called on gun owners to "fight this violence of lies with the clenched fist of truth".
Fellow right-wing commentator Dinesh D'Souza was dropped from the CPAC lineup after mocking victims of the Florida tragedy on Twitter.
"Worst news since their parents told them to get summer jobs," Mr D'Souza wrote, after Florida lawmakers voted against a ban on assault weapons.
"Adults 1, kids 0."
The kids are now organising the March for our Lives in Washington DC, on March 24, to call for better gun control. Hollywood star George Clooney and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, have donated $500,000 to help organise it.
Newshub.
