“Run, Hide, Fight: Growing up under the gun,” is a new documentary produced by PBS News Student Reporting Labs and featuring stories produced by 14 young journalists from around the country, including an interview with PCGVR director or research Dr. Jessica Beard. WATCH THE FULL DOCUMENTARY | JUMP TO DR. BEARD’S INTERVIEW
Behind the scenes: The student producer who interviewed Dr. Beard shared some kind and encouraging words in a new op-ed published in Teen Vogue:
“After the interview, I felt seen and heard, and it was amazing talking to a researcher who studies a topic that’s so close to home for me. And I left feeling more hopeful for the future of gun violence prevention.” — Ethan Rodriguez
Community Voices of Healing, Reflection and Hope is a new podcast coming soon from the Credible Messenger Reporting Project at the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting (PCGVR). Host and executive producer Maxayn Gooden is the Credible Messenger Community Manager at PCGVR. She interviews and facilitates conversations among other members of the survivor community in Philadelphia, taking the time to share their experiences in a safe place and in extraordinary depth. The Credible Messenger Reporting Project was created to report on root causes, lived experience and possible solutions to gun violence from the community perspective. LISTEN AND SHARE: AUDIO TRAILER / VIDEO TRAILER
Above: PCGVR 2024 activities have included conference talks, research meetings, newsroom and classroom visits, media appearances, releasing our new reporting toolkit and our collaborative documentary premiere and tour.
Do you like to grapple with big issues? Are you interested in solving problems? Are you committed to making Philadelphia a safer and healthier place for all? Do you operate with kindness, empathy, and integrity? If this sounds like you, perhaps you should consider becoming the first-ever Director of Operations at the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting (PCGVR).
PCGVR brings together public health scholars, impacted community members, and media professionals to advance empathetic, ethical, and impactful journalism. In its early years, the organization has already contributed to shifting the frame of gun violence reporting from one of crime to one of public health and prevention. Having already influenced the field at high levels – including the Surgeon General and the AP Stylebook – PCGVR seeks to change the way we talk about community firearm violence through both research and the development of new journalistic resources, both technological and educational.
PCGVR seeks a Director of Operations to lead targeted efforts in strategy, finance, communications, and resource development. This entrepreneurial leader will be deeply committed to mitigating harm for those impacted by gun violence and will work with the organization’s founder to develop and disseminate new approaches and practices in gun violence prevention journalism. Additionally, the Director of Operations will work collaboratively with the founder to create an organization that is strong, stable, and sustainable.
You can view the complete job description here. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and a resume to jobs@pcgvr.org.
PCGVR director Jim MacMillan and research director Dr. Jessica Beard discuss gun violence, prevention and the role of the media on The Trauma Beat podcast with journalist, trauma researcher and author Tamara Cherry, which explores how the news media covers traumatic events, the impact this coverage has on survivors and journalists, and how we all might be able to tell (and consume) these very important stories, better. Based on Tamara’s book, The Trauma Beat: A Case for Re-Thinking the Business of Bad News. Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
Above: Researchers participating in the interdisciplinary collaborative led by Dr. Jessica Beard met recently at Temple University Hospital to discuss future studies. from left are: Dr. Christopher Morrison, Assistant Professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health; Raha Raissian, Medical student at Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine; Siena Wanders, Medical student at Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine; Dr. Beard, Dr. Anita Wamakima, Temple General Surgery resident; Dr. Jennifer Midberry, Associate Professor at Temple University Klein College; Dr. Evan Eschliman, Post-doctoral research fellow at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health; and Tyrone Muns, Temple nurse and research assistant. Photographs for PCGVR by Kriston Jae Bethel.
Two new studies led by PCGVR Director of Research Dr. Jessica Beard have been published:
• Systematic disparities in reporting on community firearm violence on local television news in Philadelphia, PA, USA [Preventive Medicine Reports]
• Public health framing of firearm violence on local television news in Philadelphia, PA, USA: a quantitative content analysis [BMC Public Health]
“News stories may be the only window into community firearm violence that the general public has, and they often are not getting a complete picture, but instead one that research has indicated can lead audiences to blame victims, reinforce racist stereotypes and undermine effective public health responses.” – PCGVR Director of Research Dr. Jessica Beard.
Press release and contact info: Two New Studies Led by Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s Dr. Jessica Beard More Closely Examine How Reports of Community Firearm Violence Are Framed on Local Television News in Philadelphia [Temple Health News]
The Second Trauma documentary tour is underway. We are visiting colleges and universities, journalism conferences, newsrooms and other organizations. To request an exclusive screening and expert panel discussion, visit: thesecondtrauma.net
