Conservatives Praise CNN for Hiring Gun Expert Stephen Gutowski as Contributor: ‘One of the Best Media Hiring Decisions in Years’

CNN announced an expansion to their coverage of American gun violence, which includes the hiring of firearms reporter Stephen Gutowski as a network contributor.

In a release Wednesday, the network announced “Guns in America” — a journalism unit they describe as dedicated to “tracking and unpacking all aspects of the complex and divisive issues surrounding guns and gun violence in the country.” The statement says the beat will be lead by guns and security correspondent Josh Campbell, but it will also feature reporting and analysis from Gutowski, Jennifer Mascia of The Trace, Abené Clayton from The Guardian.

Gutowski, who worked at the Washington Free Beacon and has written about firearms for a number of publications, confirmed the news in a blog he published on his gun and politics news website, The Reload.

I’m excited about the opportunity to work with many solid reporters and reach a new audience. I’ve long criticized how major media outlets have reported on firearms. A severe lack of knowledge about guns, gun owners, gun laws, and even gun politics is endemic throughout the industry.

But I’ve also long been an advocate of engaging with other reporters to help foster a more informed media. I’ve contributed stories to outlets across the political spectrum. I’ve given advice to writers at every one of the top news outlets in the country and even taken many to the range for first-hand experience.

So, I’m glad to get a chance to put that worldview into practice on a greater scale than ever before.

Gutowski insisted that no one at CNN is trying to influence his coverage, and political observers on all sides regard him as a credible voice on guns and their impact on American policy and culture. As such, a variety of conservative-leaning figures voiced their approval for the news on Twitter, with some adding that it bodes well for CNN President Chris Licht’s effort to have the network provide more balanced news coverage.