Gun violence gets more nuanced, probing coverage
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Media attention to gun violence tends to be doled out in predictable, limited ways: when a mass shooting happens, when the anniversary of such a tragedy is marked or when the use of deadly force by law enforcement or citizens is questioned.
[...] the headline-driven nature of the coverage is starting to shift, with documentary filmmakers, TV networks and others attempting to reach beyond the heat and anger of the moment in search of more nuanced — and sometimes more pointed — scrutiny of a crucial American issue.
Even "CBS Sunday Morning," not typically hard-edged, devoted a 90-minute episode in March to "Guns and America," which included reports on the increasing number of female gun owners, a Chicago program that enlists veterans to help teenagers avoid gun violence, and the lingering impact of a childhood shooting.
Documentaries on the University of Texas at Austin campus shooting in 1966 and the aftermath of the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, school attack are planned by PBS, with airdates yet to be announced.
The U.S. gun homicide rate is 25 times higher than that of 22 other developed countries with similar income levels, according to a study published online in February in the American Journal of Medicine.
"Oftentimes, the discussion about gun violence is very weighted by the politics and noise that surround the issue," she said, while "The Armor of Light" and "Peace Officer" detail personal experiences and beliefs.
"The Armor of Light," airing 8-9:30 p.m. EDT (check local listings for both films), focuses on two evangelical Christians with differing political views who both are confronting gun violence.