This series shows how journalism can break down polarization, one personal story at a time

Investigative reporter John Diedrich has pulled off the journalistic equivalent of a country-pop crossover hit. His series on guns for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has won awards from places like the National Press Foundation and the Society of Professional Journalists — and also made him a regular guest with podcasters who celebrate the Second Amendment.

In “Behind the Gun,” Diedrich tackled gun suicide and accidental shootings. The project checks all the boxes of our multimedia expectations. It has revealing interactive data, video and policy deep dives. But at its core, Diedrich built the project around personal stories. Stories that fit into no easy box, no predictable slot in our polarized framework of gun rights vs gun control.