Mission:
The Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting (PCGVR) creates direct and genuine connections amongst gun violence prevention scholars, journalists, and impacted communities to mitigate harmful media narratives and advance empathetic, ethical, and impactful gun violence reporting.
Vision:
By curating connections, cultivating trust, and conducting collaborative research, PCGVR will inform journalistic practices and influence the programs and policies that will ultimately lead to a more nuanced, public health-focused approach and fewer people harmed by gun violence.
Current Programs & Results
Independent Research Collaborative
We have organized a research collaborative including 14 authors and 12 paid research assistants at seven universities. We published our first study, have seven more in progress and have presented at four national research conferences.
Resources for Better Gun Violence Reporting
We convened our first workshop with 45 journalists, researchers and community partners last fall, will host our next workshop this fall and plan to hold a national conference next spring.
Credible Messenger Reporting Project
We have provided support to more than 100 community journalists, professional reporting partners and other support staff working in our Credible Messenger Reporting Project and Film Festival. Teams have produced nine projects, eight more teams are underway and several more are coming together.
Current Priorities:
Network Development: Build searchable databases
Curriculum Development: Develop certification in ethical gun violence reporting
Team Growth: Invest in people to support organizational growth and sustainability
Event Facilitation: Design solutions grounded in public health research and lived experience
Outcomes:
Network Development: Launch a searchable database to improve sourcing
Curriculum Development: Complete ethical gun violence reporting curriculum
Team Growth: Address current administrative needs + succession planning
Event Facilitation: Local and national events
Our Future:
The Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting (PCGVR) will create direct and genuine connections amonst public health researchers, journalists, and impacted communities to mitigate harm and advance empathetic, ethical, and impactful gun violence reporting.
Ultimately, we believe that the way media entities report on gun violence could contribute to fewer incidents of community firearm violence.