Curbing Gun Violence With a Public Health Approach
This episode of “Vitals” on PBS explores the concept of treating gun violence as a public health issue, similar to disease, rather than focusing on criminal punishment. This public health approach to gun violences involves different strategies, for instance: a) Root Cause Analysis to reduce injuries and deaths before they occur; b) Active Rehabilitation…
US Surgeon General’s Advisory on Firearm Violence
In June 2024, US Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy declared firearm violence a public health crisis when he issued an advisory focused entirely on gun violence prevention for the very first time. Gun violence has become the leading cause of death among children and teens in the U.S., prompting calls for urgent action….
Better Gun Violence Reporting: A Toolkit for Minimizing Harm
News coverage of gun violence often inadvertently perpetuates stereotypical narratives about the people and communities most impacted. Typical coverage focuses on individual episodes of gun violence and often lacks an explanation of what causes it and what could be done to prevent it. These reporting practices can further stigmatize marginalized communities and promote fatalism around…
Speaking to Media: What You Should Know
Journalists are usually on a deadline. Ask them: how tight their deadline is how long they are able to spend with you when they think the story will publish Journalists choose what goes in the story A reporter may talk to you for an hour or more but only use 30 seconds of your…