A group of about 30 students undertook the task of reporting on gun laws and issues in the Carnegie-Knight News21 program at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism in 2014.
In its sixth year, the News21 program is a multimedia endeavor by student journalists to produce investigative pieces on controversial issues.
On Monday at a Must See Mondays event, alumni of the program spoke to students about what it was like covering the controversial gun debate in a project that would be dubbed “Gun Wars.”
Lauren Loftus, a former News21 student, shared her work on women in the gun industry and how they are “staking their claim” in the field.
“I feel like News21 really helped me hit my stride as a reporter,” Loftus said. “We had to track down this woman and force her to spend time with us in Miami.”
She said she was able to use multimedia, such as photography and audio clips, in her project to enrich her work.
Another former participant and recent graduate, Erin O’Connor, said his experience reporting on the gun laws and issues were mostly about the “gray area” in legislation and the community than the far left and right in the debate.
O’Connor spoke about how his team of journalists traveled to Camden, New Jersey to talk with those affected by gun violence. Instead of talking with politicians and representatives, O’Connor said he was closer to the issue, interviewing families, police officers and community activists.
He said the most challenging part was being honest and open with the sources and understanding that he was entering the lives of those whose stories had never been told before.
Twenty-nine students from more than 16 different universities worked on the project, according to Leonard Downie Jr., Weil Family Professor of Journalism at the Cronkite School, who oversees the program.
“Every year I pick a subject of great national importance,” Downie said.
The program previously investigated transportation safety, food safety, voting rights and returning veterans.
According to Downie, media outlets used more than 100 pieces of the Gun Wars project for their own broadcast and print work.
“Every year we’ve gotten more and more pickup from our stories,” Downie said.
Brandon Quester, executive director for the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, highlighted the project’s multimedia emphasis.
“Each year we’ve gotten increasingly ambitious,” Quester said. “Our idea to keep pushing the boundaries for not only how we do these presentations, but how we present it.”
Quester said there are more than 30 videos alone on the Gun Wars project, and was enthusiastic for the future of the News21.
According to Downie, the topic being covered this year is issues surrounding marijuana. He said the News21 projects are meant to be non-biased and ethical while being thorough in their coverage and depth.
Downie also appealed to journalism students in the audience to apply to the program if they were interested in investigative reporting.
One student said the event piqued her interest in the subject.
“I thought it was pretty interesting,” said Cronkite senior Kimberly Linn. “Especially considering I am a public relations major.”
Contact the reporter at cassidy.trowbridge@asu.edu.
