Journalists Welcome: Pitt to Host Gun Violence Reporting Symposium
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By: Madison Brunner
Gun violence tragedies claim more than 33,000 lives per year in the United States, making it an unavoidable topic in news headlines. While it’s important and necessary to inform the public about mass shooting events, sensational media coverage can pose a threat to public health and safety.
To raise awareness about science-based best practices for reporting on gun violence, the University of Pittsburgh invites journalists, experts in media studies, mental health, violence prevention, public health and law enforcement to a Responsible Reporting of Gun Violence Symposium. The event will also look at why some news coverage fuels the stigma of mental illness and false perceptions that people with mental illness are dangerous.
Presenters include experts from Pitt, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Poynter Institute and the University of Alabama. They will explore safe reporting practices for these tragic events, without leading to a clustering of shootings or copycat violence.
The symposium will take place on Friday on the Pitt campus in the Barco Law Building. To learn more about this event and to register, click here.
