News

Checking the facts on “red flag laws”

Share

The latest research into “red flag laws” and other gun safety measures was highlighted at a recent webinar series for journalists produced by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and its PolitiFact fact-checking arm.

The two-part series – offered as Congress considers a response to the recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Buffalo, New York; and elsewhere – featured some of the most prominent gun-violence researchers in the country: Daniel Webster of the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Garen Wintemute of the University of California-Davis, and Jake Charles from Duke University’s Center for Firearms Law.

Joining the academics were journalists who cover gun violence and its impacts, including Jennifer Mascia of the national nonprofit news outlet the Trace, California-based

Abené Clayton of the Guardian, and Johnny Madgaleno, an Indianapolis Star reporter whose series of investigative stories on the failure to enforce “red flag laws” was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize this year.

Formally known as extreme risk protection orders, or ERPOs, “red flag laws” provide civil courts a means to temporarily remove guns from people who pose a potential danger to themselves or others. In the wake of several recent and high-profile shootings, policy makers have been considering offering new grants to encourage states to adopt such laws. Nineteen states already have a version.

PolitiFact published a fact-check on “red flag laws,” found here, and a story with tips for journalists on how to cover gun violence and the proposals being debated, found here. Recordings of the webinars can be found by signing up here.

Poynter is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit school for journalists and a publisher of original journalism. The Foundation sponsored the Poynter project through its Journalism program.

About The Joyce Foundation

Joyce is a nonpartisan, private foundation that invests in evidence-informed public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.

Related Content

In The Media

'The Gun Machine': A podcast about how America was forged by the gun industry

Produced by WBUR and The Trace, the podcast looks into the history of the relationship between the gun industry and the U.S. government. 'The Gun Machine' debuts on Oct. 4, 2023.

Source
WBUR; The Trace

News

Joyce Joins Press Forward National Coalition to Revitalize Local News

The Joyce Foundation joined a national coalition of 22 donors today in announcing the formation of Press Forward, an initiative designed to strengthen communities and, by extension, democracy, by supporting local news and information.

Webinar

New Data from MN on Different Approaches to Public Safety

In recent years, crime and public safety has become a top issue of concern among policy makers, researchers, advocates, and communities. During this briefing, researchers Daniel Gotoff and Brian Nienaber presented data specific to the state of Minnesota.

Research Report

Investing in Governance and Management Can Make Violence Reduction Efforts Successful

An action research and practice agenda to clarify the challenges and opportunities inherent to implementing, managing and governing community violence intervention (CVI) work in cities.

Webinar

Implementing Extreme Risk Protection Orders: Tools for the Field

Lunch & Learn webinar presents a new report that details promising practices for policymakers and practitioners alike in implementing Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) policies more effectively. June 2023

News

Reclaiming Reform: Policing, Public Safety & Public Trust

Joyce and Crain's Business Chicago hosted a public forum to discuss national best practices in police reform and assess how they could be applied to Chicago as the City works to implement it’s consent decree and selects a new leader of CPD.

Webinar

New Responses to Illegal Gun Possession: Prosecutor Led Gun Diversion Program Evaluation Results From Minneapolis, MN and Brooklyn, NY 

During this webinar, researchers from The Marron Institute and the Smart Decarceration Project housed at the University of Chicago present new findings from evaluations of two prosecutor led gun diversion programs

Webinar

Presenting a New Dashboard on Violent Deaths in Michigan

The new tool visualizes information on violent deaths in the state to help communities better develop prevention strategies and policies.