The Trace (website)
| Company type | Non-profit organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Journalism, Media |
| Founded | June 19, 2015 |
| Founder | Everytown for Gun Safety |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Tali Woodward (Editor-in-chief), John Feinblatt (President) |
| Owner | Everytown for Gun Safety |
The Trace is a U.S.-based non-profit journalism organization dedicated to reporting on issues related to gun violence within the United States. Established in 2015 with initial funding from the prominent gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, founded by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, the platform officially began operations on June 19 of that year. Tali Woodward serves as the editor-in-chief, while its president, John Feinblatt, also holds leadership at Everytown for Gun Safety.
History
John Feinblatt described The Trace as emerging from the difficulties encountered by Everytown for Gun Safety, where he is president, in obtaining comprehensive gun violence data. He pointed to the Tiahrt Amendment, a 2003 provision in DOJ appropriations that limits the ability of the ATF's National Tracing Center to share its firearms trace database, permitting access only to law enforcement or prosecutors involved in criminal investigations. This amendment also prohibits the use of released data in civil litigation against gun manufacturers or dealers and was backed by the National Rifle Association of America (NRA).
Advocates including Everytown contend that access to gun trace information is essential for solving crimes by tracking firearms from their point of sale to their involvement in violent acts.
Following the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which resulted in over 20 fatalities, mostly children, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg established Everytown for Gun Safety. James Burnett, then serving as editorial news director, noted that while the organization opposes rampant gun violence, its main objective is addressing the significant gaps in available data on this issue.
Partners
The Trace partners with a variety of national and regional media outlets including The Atlantic, Slate, Lenny, The Daily News, Vice, The Guardian, Tampa Bay Times, Newsweek, The Huffington Post, TIME, Fusion, The Undefeated, Politico Magazine, Essence, The Chicago Sun-Times, and The New Yorker.
In collaboration with The Atlantic, The Trace conducted an investigation into why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), despite an annual budget exceeding $11 billion, discontinued research on gun violence. Mark L. Rosenberg, who founded the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, disclosed that CDC leadership halted this line of research even though the center was initially allocated $260,000 annually to study firearm-related deaths and prevention strategies. In 2016, Rosenberg stressed that currently there are no restrictions preventing the CDC from addressing this important public health concern.
It was previously assumed that the 1996 Dickey Amendment, supported by the NRA and incorporated into appropriations legislation, blocked funding by forbidding CDC injury prevention funds from being used to advocate or promote gun control policies. In 1997, Congress shifted funding away from gun violence research toward traumatic brain injury studies. David Satcher, who led the CDC from 1993 to 1998, supported firearm violence research until his tenure ended; Rosenberg was dismissed in 1999. Several public health experts interviewed by The Trace indicated that senior CDC officials adopted an overly cautious reading of the Dickey Amendment and could have pursued more comprehensive research efforts.
Themes
The Trace tracks NRA election expenditures, highlighting the organization's increase from $31.7 million in 2014 to $36.3 million in 2016 in support of Donald Trump's presidential bid.
Dispute with Students for Concealed Carry
In a 2015 report by Adam Weinstein for The Trace, it was uncovered that Students for Concealed Carry (SCC), which promotes campus carry, receives backing from the Leadership Institute and Gun Owners of America. While SCC denies being established or regularly financed by external entities, claiming to be student-led, it admits to connections with gun-rights organizations and acknowledges that certain chapters have obtained grants from the Leadership Institute.
The Gunfighters
According to NPR, The Trace operates as an independent platform dedicated to addressing the gun violence epidemic in the United States.
Since 2015, journalist Mike Spies has reported on the gun lobby through his series "The Gunfighters," examining the National Rifle Association of America's (NRA) role in shaping state firearm policies and political landscapes. His investigations include scrutiny of the NRA’s grading system for legislators and its resistance to laws concerning secure gun storage and "stand-your-ground" statutes.
Spies has outlined how the NRA leverages its rating system to impact judicial appointments, beginning with Supreme Court confirmations such as Sonia Sotomayor in 2009 and extending to others like Elena Kagan, Caitlin Halligan, and Merrick Garland. The NRA opposed Garland's 2016 nomination due to his perceived position on gun rights. This coverage was referenced in The Second Amendment and Gun Control: Freedom, Fear, and the American Constitution, a work that delves into controversies surrounding firearm regulation.
See also
- Institute for Nonprofit News (member)