Reporting on Gun Violence

A recent posting in the Huffington Post reminded me of the consequences of a violent society and the proliferation of guns in our society. The posting came from Brian Piccione, Education Program Coordinator of MyBlocNYC.

Through MyBlocNYC students at Metropolitan High School were given an assignment.

Make a short documentary about your neighborhood and explore the social and economic issues you face in this community. Their videos are a unique and candid perspective on some of the most overlooked neighborhoods in the city. Through their videos, these students are effectively becoming citizen journalists of their communities, humanizing and heightening our understanding of their neighborhoods. They are reporting on issues and events passed over by the media. They are taking the time to reflect and consider their options -- accept the way things are or work to change them.

The three videos make it clear their neighborhood is not safe. the proliferation of weapons has cost the lives of the city's young and affected the way people live. Many of the victims are innocents caught in the crossfire or collateral damage from drive-by shootings.

Social Media can do so much more to make us aware of our world around us. I'm setting aside, for the moment, the inaccuracies and lies perpetuated by the self-interested or by the mainline media rushing to be first.

I remember reaction to a story we ran in about 2000 about the efforts to ban a pistol used by gangs in Hartford. The ban was backed by law enforcement. The pistol was nicknamed the "Pocket Rocket." Through an illegal adaptation the pistol could fire 50 rounds in a matter of seconds. The reaction I got from our coverage of the story came from someone who said he was a member of the NRA. He led off his message with the information that he could pump 30 rounds out of 50 from this weapon in the bottom of a Dixie Cup at 25 feet. He said our reporting was unfair because it was his right to have and carry the weapon. He clearly wanted us to stop reporting about guns and gun violence. It was a threat to his second amendment rights. Never mind freedom of the press and freedom of speech. Never mind the right of government to enact laws that promote the safety of its citizens.  Never mind the threat the weapon posed to everyday citizens. Never mind the threat implied in his lead paragraph.

In 2000 WNPR's web presence was not robust. Posting stories was impossible. 2000 was also before Web 2.0. Social media was not around. Beyond the airing of the story about, there was no media sustainability to the story. Although, the NRA member's letter was posted on the web until a couple of years ago.

Coverage made possible by social media will keep the issues alive and the debate going. Think about how stories could be advanced if commercial media, public broadcasting and public media were to make alliances with organizations like MyBlocNYC.