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James V. Grimaldiwww.washingtonpost.com/guns
www.facebook.com/[email protected]
Eight days in October, November and Decemberwww.washingtonpost.com/guns
THE TEAM
Four Washington Post Investigative Reporters and Two Researchers
Editor
Photographer + Videographer
Web project manager
Digital journalists: cartographer, graphic designer, database developer
Media Elements
• Print stories and photos
• Web stories and photo galleries
• Web videos – seven segments produced
• Interactive graphics
• Database of gun dealers
Goal of the Project: Break the Secrecy
U.S. Congress eight years ago exempts from the Freedom of Information Act a database that traced guns used in crimes back to dealers.
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), primary sponsor of provision
The Blackout
• The Tiahrt Amendment silenced media investigations into gun stores, firearms trafficking and crime trends
• Assignment from our editor Jeff Leen:
Break the secrecy
How We Broke the Secrecy
• Compiled a list of 511 police officers killed by firearms and traced 30 cop-killer weapons.
• Obtained lists of the top 12 gun dealers in the past two years who have sold the most weapons traced from Mexican crime scenes
The Work: Research Areas
* How do criminals get guns?
* How do cop killers get guns?
* Gun trafficking in the United States and to Mexico
* The ATF, NRA & the politics of guns
PG Firearms Examination logs
• After seizing guns, police test fire, analyze and log data • FOIA’d unpublicized databases from DC and PG Firearms Exams Units.
First Breakthrough: Prince George’s Data
Realco: Where DC crooks go to buy guns- 2,500 guns traced to Realco
- The next biggest, active dealer had 600.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/guns/index.html
VIDEO STORY TELLINGThe life of a crime gun
Multimedia Storytelling
• Post reporter video training in early 2000s
• Trip planned to Houston for Mexico story
• Interview with wife of slain police officer
• Federal official won’t go on camera (audio only)
• Obtained jailhouse interview through Texas public records request
Video from Texas • Focus on Carter’s Country gun stores in Houston• Obtained suspect confession in cop killing • Interviewed wife of police officer
Under public records request, we obtained the video of his confession to police http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/guns/arming-mexicos-drug-cartels/?sid=ST2010121203267
National Rifle Association Lobbying
The NRA in two decades spent more than $100 million on political activities, ¾ donations, ¼ lobbying .
INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC: NRA Donations Endorsements
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/guns/nra-endorsements-campaign-spending/
Interactive Idea Copied from Tea Party Endorsement Graphic
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/tea-party-endorsement-results/