By Dean Weingarten
Arizona – -(Ammoland.com)- The above is a screenshot from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma’s call for applications from journalists to attend a “workshop for journalists on covering guns and gun violence“.
It is from the dartcenter.org website, so you can look for yourself. The workshop specifically includes an invitation for bloggers to apply.
From DART:
To help journalists and news organizations in the Southwest improve their reporting on guns and gun violence, the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia Journalism School is organizing a two-day regional workshop May 29 and 30, 2015 for reporters, editors, news directors, photographers, producers, and bloggers.
I have emailed the contact twice, asking rather pointed questions about the list of speakers, and the content. I have not received an answer. I have already sent in my application to attend. I do not expect to be selected. I suspect that this will be a seminar on how to construct propaganda to buttress the political efforts of Michael Bloomberg. He is the person that is supplying the money.
Do not let that dissuade you from applying. At the minimum, you can show that you were turned down. Perhaps someone who is not a committed disarmist will be able to attend, and report on the proceedings.
The application is a fairly simple process, all done with an email.
From The Dart Center:
To apply, please email [email protected] with your resume or CV, full contact information (name, address, city, state, zip, phone number and email address) and a one-page letter of interest that:
- Describes how and why this workshop is relevant to you and your work;
- Identifies three issues around guns or gun violence of particular interest to you;
- Explains a challenge you have encountered in pursuing a story on this topic (or a related one); and
- Briefly outlines a possible story you might pursue on the topic.
I strongly urge my fellow bloggers to apply. At the minimum, you will be able to brag that you were turned down by The Dart Center.
The event will take place at the end of May. That is a month and a half later than they originally showed on the screenshot, as you can see. It may mean that they are not getting many applications.  Applications are to be sent in by 13 April. That gives you plenty of time.
S.E. Cupp, the conservative columnist complained about the workshop.
She said:
 Shame on Columbia. The only journalists who should attend this workshop are those who want to expose its dishonesty.
Dart Center director Bruce Shapiro graciously replied to Ms Cupp. He invited her to speak at the workshop, and said that Everytown has no control over the money.
After asking if the workshop would invite any gun rights advocates or gun-owning journalists like myself to speak, Shapiro promptly extended an invitation.
“Consider yourself invited — I’d love to have you (gun-toting journalist!) as part of this program.”
I accepted and we thought it might be helpful if I discussed with reporters some of the common traps journalists fall into when covering guns —  traps that people like me would readily pounce on.
We do not know, yet, what the agenda will be, but some of the speakers have been asked to attend and have been selected. I will be writing about who will be speaking in future articles.
c2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included. Link to Gun Watch
About Dean Weingarten;
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
