Social Media Story Update

Since I published my first story pitch, much has changed regarding my project. I came to realize that since my topic of gun violence following the Parkland shooting is so relevant, it is one of the most reported topics. Because of this, I realized that my reporting needed to be from a more personal and unique perspective.

Meeting with Terron Moore helped me come up with some ideas that could personalize my story. I’ve decided to shift my focus to a more Colorado-centered perspective. I’m now interested in how Colorado citizens and lawmakers have reacted to situations of gun violence, like Columbine and the Aurora theater shooting, whether it be through change in legislation, policies, or nothing at all. I’m also curious to explore the process of getting a gun in Colorado. Is it easy? How is it different from buying guns in other states? Has it changed over time?

I’ve also decided to change some of my sources. Since high school students from Parkland High School are leading the charge on the issue of gun legislation, I’ve decided to interview students from the two main highschools in Boulder: Boulder High and Fairview. On March 14, students across the country participated in a national school walkout to encourage congress to take legislative action on gun violence. Both Boulder High and Fairview had a large number of students who participated in the walkout. I’m hoping to interview students who participated in the walkout and students who didn’t.

The final change I made to my original story plan is my experimental platform. I’ve now decided to make a podcast hosted on Soundcloud that summarizes my story and samples audio clips from my reporting process.

I’m still planning on my live element being a Facebook live video of the March for Our Lives in Denver, as well as a snapchat story of the whole reporting process and a tweet thread. Overall, I’m looking forward to where this project takes me and what I find out about gun legislation in Colorado.