Newspapers no longer taking classified gun ads

Three Iowa newspapers recently restricted classified ads for guns: The Hawkeye in Burlington, the Daily Iowegian in Centerville and the Daily Sentinel in Le Mars, bringing the number of Iowa papers that have adopted the policy to eight, according to U.S. Newswire.

The Nebraska City News Press has now closed the "newspaper loophole,” along with four Ohio papers: The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Cincinnati Post, The Delphos Herald and The Ironton Tribune.

Since the campaign was launched in November 2001, at least 26 papers across the country, with a combined circulation of nearly 6 million, have changed their firearms advertising policies.

"We are pleased that the publishers of these newspapers recognize that the classifieds provide opportunities for prohibited purchasers to buy guns without a background check,” said John Johnson, coordinator of the National Campaign to Close the Newspaper Loophole.