"The Trace", labeled by some as the promotional wing of former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg's pro-gun control initiatives, seeks to convince the public that it is a bona fide news outlet staffed by legitimate journalists. This is a narrative they strive to preserve.
"The Trace" portrays itself as the sole newsroom devoted to covering gun violence, with its team presenting themselves as journalists as opposed to anti-gun advocates compensated by Bloomberg to generate anti-gun content. Since its inception eight years ago, a multitude of newspapers, websites, and traditional media platforms have been beguiled by this deception. USA Today, Gannett’s principal newspaper, has cooperated with "The Trace" on multiple occasions, even permitting its advocates to produce and edit content that later appears in the newspaper under a shared byline.
The Trace's website claims to have collaborated with over 170 national and local media organizations and expresses interest in forging new partnerships. Jennifer Mascia, a senior news writer at "The Trace", recently defended the organization's identity as separate from Everytown, another anti-gun entity sponsored by Bloomberg.
Mascia asserts that the staff at "The Trace" are journalists who have never worked in advocacy. Her defense highlights their educational credentials in journalism and implies that their backgrounds are not biased.
You know The Trace is not a gun control org. We don't lobby. We don't tell readers to support laws. We don't publish our opinions. We are all journalists. None of us have ever worked in advocacy. Our backgrounds are easily searchable.
— Jennifer Mascia (@JenniferMascia) May 26, 2023
Why do you persist with this myth?
However, Rob Romano, an intelligence associate at the Firearms Policy Coalition, disclosed a noteworthy connection between the IRS Form 990s for "The Trace" and Everytown. Both nonprofits are led by the same president, John Feinblatt, who is also Bloomberg’s principal advisor on gun control policy and advocacy. Further examination reveals that both nonprofits share the same phone number and were incorporated in Delaware, a state known for its strict corporate privacy laws.
Romano addressed Mascia directly on Twitter, pointing out that the president of her organization is also the president of Everytown.
The president of your organization is literally the president of Everytown https://t.co/hGizzKftCp pic.twitter.com/py1QRiMUZX
— Rob Romano (@2Aupdates) July 26, 2023
The association between "The Trace" and Bloomberg's other gun control groups, funded by his substantial wealth, is not a new revelation for gun owners. However, mainstream media often overlook this connection, allowing them to publish "The Trace's" content without feeling culpable.
If mainstream media were to accept that "The Trace" is simply another anti-gun advocacy group aimed at generating anti-gun propaganda, they would have to confront the ethical issues involved in publishing their work. Many newspapers have ethical guidelines that prevent them from collaborating with activists.
The extensive collaborations between "The Trace" and USA TODAY seem to violate many of Gannett's "Principles of Ethical Conduct for Newsrooms". These include ensuring fair play, maintaining independence, upholding the truth, conducting investigative reporting, and editing with skepticism.
In an ideal world, every newspaper that has published "The Trace's" content as news would withdraw each article and issue an apology to its readers, along with a commitment not to repeat this in the future.
Regrettably, this is unlikely to occur due to the sensitive subject matter of guns. The mainstream media often places less emphasis on facts, accuracy, fairness, or ethics when it involves an anti-gun story.
As the mainstream media continues to publish content from recognized anti-gun advocates, one might question when they will start collaborating with NRA, GOA, NSSF, or even SAF for future content. That would appear to be the equitable course of action.
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