Today, ABC News announced a commitment to focused, investigative, straightforward reporting by launching a daily series, Guns in America, that will dedicate news gathering resources from around the country to provide in-depth coverage of gun issues affecting the United States.
What’s Happening:
- As gun violence continues to soar and the ongoing debate intensifies, ABC News is committed to reporting the facts and exploring the topics related to ongoing gun issues, including the rise in mass shootings and youth firearm suicides, gun purchasing laws, mental health, proposed legislation and the debates in Congress, other countries’ solutions to gun problems and more.
- ABC News’ team of anchors, correspondents, reporters and producers will fan across the country to focus on communities both big and small, exploring the problems, challenges and possible solutions ahead.
- Additionally, ABC News will have a continued presence in Uvalde, Texas, for the next year in the wake of the Robb Elementary deadly mass shooting tragedy.
- Uvalde: 365, led by the investigative unit, will focus on how such acts of violence affect a community long after the headlines fade. A team of correspondents and producers from across the news division will stay in Uvalde and provide ongoing coverage as the investigation continues and the community tries to heal.
To launch the new commitment, Guns in America will feature full-day coverage and reporting across all programs and platforms on Tuesday, June 7th, including the following:
- Good Morning America will feature in-depth coverage on the rise in gun violence, including Amy Robach’s exclusive interview with Arnulfo Reyes, a Robb Elementary fourth grade teacher whose students were shot by the gunman in his classroom. Co-anchor Robin Roberts speaks with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about her new position within the Biden Administration as well as the administration’s plans to combat ongoing gun violence in the country.
- World News Tonight with David Muir will feature a report and an in-depth look at the AR-15 style rifle, the legal age debate for owning it led by chief national correspondent Matt Gutman, as well as where negotiations stand on federal gun legislation from congressional correspondent Rachel Scott.
- Nightline will feature Gutman’s reporting on the AR-15 and also speak to teachers across the country, who discuss the role of a teacher and the dangers of carrying guns in schools.
- This Week with George Stephanopoulos co-anchor Martha Raddatz travels to Newtown, Connecticut, for an in-depth look at the impact of gun violence on students, parents and the community. She will interview Gov. Ned Lamont about the changes in gun control legislation since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary nearly ten years ago and discuss efforts to make firearms safer with the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Mark Olivia.
- GMA3: What You Need to Know will have interviews with two young gun violence survivors from Stoneman Douglas High School and Oxford High School, as they share what they think are possible solutions.
- The View will have Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) on the show to discuss gun violence.
- ABC News Live will report on the profound effects of mass trauma and community outreach efforts, as well as survivor impact stories. On ABC News Live Prime, multiplatform reporter Ines de la Cuetara explores how other nations have successfully dealt with gun laws and what they’ve accomplished. ABC News Live will also feature a special conversation, Guns in America: From Buffalo to Uvalde, at 8:30 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. PT, centering on two communities — Black and Latino — that are both seeking accountability in the aftermath of two American tragedies. Hosted by contributor María Elena Salinas, the conversation will include Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX); Vincent Salazar, the grandfather of Layla Salazar, who was killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting; and Pastor Dwayne Jones, a former law enforcement officer who knew the Buffalo shooting victims.
- ABC News Digital will have a dedicated landing page for Guns in America coverage, featuring news and stories on Uvalde, gun safety and mass shootings by the numbers. FiveThirtyEight will publish a poll on what Americans think about gun control.
- ABC News Radio correspondent Jim Ryan will return to Uvalde, Texas, to tell the stories of survivors and loved ones of the victims, including 10-year-old Xavier Lopez, whose funeral is Tuesday. ABC News Radio will also offer custom interviews with Ryan to stations, sharing what has changed in the two weeks since the shooting. Senior investigative reporter Aaron Katersky will have the latest updates on his exclusive reporting about the technology used by school officials to trigger lockdowns and the lawsuit against the maker of the rifle used at Robb Elementary. Correspondent Karen Travers will report on the efforts to find a legislative compromise to address gun violence. Tuesday’s episode of ABC News’ flagship daily podcast Start Here, hosted by Brad Mielke, will feature special coverage, including an interview with Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), who is calling for an FBI investigation into the law enforcement response in the Uvalde school shooting, and conservative commentator David French will discuss the gun debate in the country.
- ABC NewsOne, the affiliate news service of ABC News, will be reporting on new data which says that the rate of young people taking their own lives with firearms in the United States has increased faster than for any other age group, and the youth suicide rate is at its highest point in more than 20 years. While firearm suicide overall increased by about 2% during the pandemic, the rate among young people increased by 15%, and nearly half of all suicide attempts by young people involve a gun, researchers with Everytown For Gun Safety found. Multi-platform reporter Morgan Norwood will look at what is behind this surge. NewsOne provides news content and services for more than 200 ABC affiliates and international news partners.
What They’re Saying:
- Kim Godwin, president of ABC News said: “Too often the news cycle moves quickly from one mass shooting to another, without providing overall context and asking enough in-depth questions. We are responding to the citizens we serve — people in this country, many of whom support the second amendment, but are also afraid to send their children to school.”