The Trace, a news organization dedicated to reporting on gun violence, has launched its Gun Violence Data Hub, an initiative created to provide data for newsrooms around the country. Made up of three parts, the site offers a help desk, reference material and resources, and an upcoming data library. The live help desk is staffed by three journalists who will field questions, clean and analyze data, and offer information to bolster coverage across the nation. The Hub’s resources include reference material including tip sheets, a glossary, and information on best practices for reporting on gun violence. In Spring 2025, the Hub will unveil its data library, which will make datasets about gun violence easily accessible alongside the right context, instructions, and summary statistics.
The idea for the Data Hub was born of the need to improve how the news media covers gun violence. “Years of reporting on America’s gun violence crisis pointed our staff to a key problem: the lack of solid, accessible data on our issue,” said Tali Woodward, editor in chief of The Trace. The Data Hub aims to provide information that can help contextualize gun violence, along with national data sets that can be localized. “We’ve designed the data hub to be a resource for every journalist in America who wants to do reporting that is more empirical and grounded,” Woodward said. “Its necessity feels even more apparent now, as the Trump administration is likely to roll back nascent efforts to research and track gun violence.”