The Latest: Slate’s 2023 profits; SiriusXM job cuts; Tips for covering firearm violence; Turmoil at Rolling Stone

While much news coverage of firearm violence is reported through the lens of crime and politics, experts say this framing overemphasizes mass shootings and fails communities seeking solutions to gun violence. On Feb. 9, experts shared their advice on how to shift story framing to one that emphasizes solutions, prevention methods, and data.

Be aware there is no official federal definition of the word mass shooting. Congress defines a mass shooting as “three or more killings in a single incident ,” and the FBI defines mass murder as “four people or more” killed in a single event. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks gun deaths, it doesn’t track mass shootings. The lack of clarity skews the narrative about how and where gun violence is occurring across the country.

Build your network of sources beyond police to include public health professionals and violence prevention experts. Include the voices of families and firearm injury survivors in stories. Many stories only feature law enforcement voices, which can contribute to the public’s perception that only police, and individuals armed with guns, can prevent firearm violence.

The story doesn’t end after the shooting. Keep the story in the public eye through stories on the anniversaries of a shooting, holding the police accountable for unsolved gun deaths, or focusing on lingering financial and social impacts of gun injuries.

Talk with and include gun owners and gun-rights advocates in stories. Millions of Americans legally ownguns and care about gun safety. “We always try to talk to gun owners,” says Jennifer Mascia, senior news writer at The Trace, because “the vast majority of gun owners…will never do a law-breaking thing in their lives and … operate guns safely.”

When talking to victims of firearm violence, use trauma-informed reporting techniques, such as walking people through how they will appear in a story before the article is published. “Sometimes it feels like bending the rules of journalism,” Mascia says, but it can prevent real psychological harm to the people included in the story.

For more advice and resources, watch the program replay . This program was produced by the National Press Club Journalism Institute, with support of the Association of Health Care Journalists.

Covering Firearm Violence: How journalists can reframe their reporting

Resume advice for freelancers

“Freelancers sometimes run into a disadvantage when it comes to labeling the particular job they do. Since they wear so many hats for so many companies, there may not be a 'catch all' title that exactly matches the responsibilities they’ve had . But here’s an opportunity to do what you should be doing for any position—focus on the requirements, and tailor your resume accordingly. For example, if you’re applying for a position as a ‘technical writer,’ and you have experience working as one, but your working freelancing title was ‘content writer,’ don’t hesitate to include ‘technical writer’ as an official title on your resume.”

-- Andrea Moran, writer, excerpt from “How to update your resume to land a permanent position ” (Washington Post Jobs)

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This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Bara Vaida, and Holly Butcher Grant. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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