A new journalism startup funded by anti-gun advocate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg debuts this week, reports the Washington Examiner. Called The Trace, the website will track news about guns in the nation, but it will necessarily parallel Bloomberg’s pro gun-control views. In Washington, where the site will be unveiled tonight, backers reportedly include Republicans and Democrats in a demonstration of its effort to promote “moderate” gun policy.
The National Rifle Association criticizes the project as “yet another illustration of Bloomberg’s ego-driven zeal to control other Americans and diminish not just their rights, but their access to reliable information about their rights.” The Trace is headed by former New Republic story editor James Burnett. New York-based news site Capital described the gun site as the editorial arm of Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety. The group draws attention to gun violence, builds protests against organizations and companies that don’t ban guns in stores, and promotes background checks.