Jessica Beard
Protection of gun violence influences how individuals perceive and reply to this public well being concern. Shut-ended protection of particular person shootings, for instance, can retraumatize firearm damage survivors, making them really feel exploited and dehumanized, says Jessica H. Beard, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., a public well being researcher and a trauma surgeon at Temple College Hospital, one of many busiest trauma facilities on the earth.
Beard, director of analysis for the Philadelphia Heart for Gun Violence Reporting and a Stoneleigh Basis Fellow, will discuss how journalists can enhance their protection of and assist stop gun violence on Thursday, Oct. 27 at Reporting on Violence as a Public Health Issue: An AHCJ Summit in Chicago. Registration for virtual attendance on the summit remains to be open.
“I do know it’s not simple to be a journalist protecting gun violence. We’re at a important time the place moral, empathetic, and impactful reporting on this epidemic may actually rework the general public narrative, empower communities and result in help for efficient options,” Beard informed AHCJ. “Working collectively, we may make reporting higher and forestall gun violence.”
Throughout her session, “Altering the narrative on gun violence reporting in Philadelphia,” Beard will summarize the Philadelphia Heart for Gun Violence Reporting’s work and analysis on narrative change round gun violence in Philadelphia. Her predominant objective is to share the group’s technique for making gun violence reporting higher by analysis, neighborhood journalism collaboration and training, she mentioned.
“Dr. Beard brings the distinctive authority of a trauma surgeon, intensive experience as a gun violence prevention researcher and distinctive integrity as a social justice advocate to her position main our analysis collaborative,” mentioned Jim MacMillan, director of the Philadelphia Heart for Gun Violence Reporting and its mother or father group, the Initiative for Higher Gun Violence Reporting.
“Her speak will determine the dangerous results of episodic gun violence reporting and begin down the trail towards finest reporting practices.”
Beard’s analysis examines firearm damage epidemiology, native information content material on gun violence and the views of firearm-injured individuals in media reviews.
“I hope journalists will really feel impressed to do comparable work and construct comparable collaborations throughout disciplines of their respective settings,” she mentioned.
Beard holds a bachelor’s diploma from Columbia College, a medical diploma from Yale College, and a grasp’s of public well being from the College of California, Berkeley.
She is one among two featured audio system on the Fall Summit. Dr. Selwyn Rogers, a surgeon, public well being professional and founding director of the College of Chicago Drugs Trauma Heart, will kick off the Summit on Thursday morning along with his perspective on why it’s so necessary to reframe the story on gun violence.
