James Burnett

Managing Director

The Trace

James Burnett is the managing director of The Trace (thetrace.org), an independent, nonprofit media organization dedicated to shining a light on gun violence in America. As managing director, James leads impact strategy and fundraising while overseeing the organization’s expansion and development. He was The Trace’s founding editor, setting coverage priorities and recruiting the first members of the newsroom in 2015. He’s currently completing a fellowship with the Gun Violence Solutions Project at the University of Virginia.

James’s experience in media leadership includes tenures as story editor for The New Republic, news editor for New York Magazine, enterprise editor for AOL News, and editor-in-chief of Boston magazine. His work has been recognized with a National Magazine Award for single-topic coverage, and five writers he’s coached have been named finalists for the Livingston Awards for young journalists. James attended Duke University, where he majored in public policy, and lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with his family.

Participating Sessions

Piercing the Numbness: Getting Beyond the Intolerable Everyday

The writer Isaac Bashevis Singer once wrote that the greatest curse of the human spirit is its ability to get used to anything. As the public becomes desensitized to stories of violence, trauma, and injustice, investigative storytellers face the challenge of breaking through the static. How can investigative storytellers bring a fresh eye to urgent, trauma-filled stories that the public often struggles to look at directly? This panel will explore...