Run, Hide, Fight: Growing up under the gun, a new documentary from 14 student reporters and PBS News Student Reporting Labs

ARLINGTON, VA — Gun violence is the leading cause of death for American children and teens according to the CDC, but coverage of its impact on youth is often reported by adults.

Run, Hide, Fight: Growing up under the gun is a new 30-minute documentary about how gun violence affects young Americans, from PBS News Student Reporting Labs in collaboration with 14 student journalists from five U.S. cities: Oakland, Calif.,  East Lansing, Mich.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Washington D.C.; and Nashville, Tenn. October 9, watch on PBS News Hour YouTube, the PBS App, or PBS.org, and many local PBS stations (check local listings).

Each segment of the documentary was produced by student reporters and centers the perspectives of young people who live in the shadow of this threat; the impact of gun violence extends far beyond those who are injured or killed.  What is it like to be part of a generation growing up with the threat of school shootings and random acts of violence?

A nationally representative survey found half of 14 to 17‑year‑olds in the U.S. worry about school shootings, and nearly six in ten report that they “have recently thought about what would happen if a person with a gun entered” their school or a school nearby. The U.S. Surgeon General recently released an advisory declaring firearm violence in America a public health crisis.

Student producer Ethan Rodriguez, a senior at Arcadia University who grew up in north Philadelphia, shared what it meant to be a part of this project as someone who has been impacted by gun violence.

“No kid deserves to feel unsafe, not on their own block, not in their own schools, not in their own communities. With so much tragedy and chaos, it’s easy to feel as if it’ll be this way forever,” he said. “But recently, working on this documentary has given me a place to reflect on and share my experiences in a way that brings awareness to these ongoing issues.”

SRL’s editorial director, Marie Cusick, said that “students have been telling us they want to talk about gun violence, and that this issue affects many people beyond shooting victims and their families. The student-produced stories aim to highlight the scope of the problem and how young people are supporting each other and pushing for solutions.”

“It’s vitally important that we give the next generation a voice on topics that directly affect their future and well-being,” said Michael E. Tang, director of PBS Plus, “I’m incredibly impressed with the journalistic endeavor that this particular group of students underwent to shape this documentary.”

Watch the trailer here, and find more on the stories and students involved below. The full documentary and shorter story segments are available for airing, sharing, and republication: learn more here.  Some students involved may also be available for interviews or further collaboration. Contact Christine Zirneklis at czirneklis@newshour.org or Marie Cusick at mcusick@newshour.org if of interest.

East Lansing, Michigan 

For some students at Michigan State University, the deadly campus shooting in February 2023 was not their first experience with a school shooting.

Student Producers and Editors: Alexis Schmidt and Brianna Schmidt, students at Michigan State University.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ethan Rodriguez grew up in north Philadelphia. When he moved away for college, he didn’t realize just how much of his hometown he would be taking with him.

Student Producer and Editor: Ethan Rodriguez, student at Arcadia University

Camera: Steve Dixon WHYY, Shawn McCarthy, Kensington High School, and Ethan Rodriguez, Arcadia University

 

Oakland, California

Gun violence can drastically alter the lives of people who just happen to be nearby.

High school student Yesenia saw a man shot in front of her when she was a kid, and it completely changed her childhood.

Student Producers: Jayden Joseph and Oswaldo Nunez, students at Oakland Military Institute

With support from SRL educator Rachel Mahlke, Oakland Military Institute

 

Nashville, Tennessee

Isabella is a college student who grew up going hunting, owning a gun, and learning a lot about gun safety. Later, as a teen, she lived through a mall shooting and now wants to see gun culture change. She is a volunteer with Students Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety.

Student Correspondent: Zion Williams, student at Howard University

 

Washington DC

Kanihya Glover lost two cousins and a good friend to gun violence before graduating from high school. She created an organization called Broken Concrete DC to commemorate gun violence victims and a support group at her school.

Student Producers: Sukey Hayden and Joe Book, students at DC International School

Student Correspondent: Sukey Hayden, student at DC International School

With support from SRL Connected Educator Ashley Porter, DC International School

 

America’s first Gen Z Congressman 

27-year-old Maxwell Frost (D- Florida) got into politics after hearing about the massacre at Sandy Hook. He went on to become the national organizing director of March for Our Lives. He talks about living through gun violence in Orlando and pushing for change in Congress.

Student Correspondent: Ash Prasai, student at Dominion High School 

Student Production Assistant: Annie Marchese, student at Dominion High School 

Camera: Zion Williams, student at Howard University

With support from SRL educator Mitch Schwartz, Dominion High School

 

San Diego, California
Documentary student host: Sarah Youssef, Westview High School 

Student camera operators: Ashley Carr, student at Westview High School, and Roury Fitzpatrick, student at  California State University San Marcos

With support from SRL educator Robert Casas, Westview High School

 

Special thanks to WHYY Media Labs, Everytown, Duke Ellington School for the Arts and Belmont University

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About Student Reporting Labs

Student Reporting Labs (SRL) is a national youth journalism training program and public media initiative of PBS News and WETA that trains teenagers across the country to produce stories that highlight the achievements, challenges, and reality of today’s young people. SRL creates transformative educational experiences through video journalism that inspire students to find their voices and engage in their communities. Since 2009, SRL youth media producers have helped students place over 100 video news reports on PBS News Hour’s nightly broadcast and more on local media outlets and reach 3,000 educators through its free learning platform StoryMaker. Visit www.studentreportinglabs.org and www.story-maker.org to learn more.

About PBS News 

PBS News is the consolidator news brand within NewsHour Productions LLC, a wholly-owned non-profit subsidiary of WETA Washington, D.C. Major corporate funding is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, and Raymond James, with additional support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the National Science Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, Friends of the News Hour and others. More information on PBS News is available at www.pbs.org/newshour. You can watch and find PBS News programming on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. News Hour Productions produces PBS News Hour, PBS News Weekend and Washington Week with The Atlantic.

About WETA

Founded in 1961, the Washington Educational Telecommunications Association (WETA) is the leading public broadcasting station in the nation’s capital, serving Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia with educational, cultural, news and public affairs programs and services. WETA hosts the production of PBS News, a classical music radio station, and programming that focuses on the United Kingdom. Learn more at https://weta.org.