It’s rare to see journalists write accurate articles about the Second Amendment and the right to self-defense, and even more rare to see them receive accolades from their mainstream peers for such articles. So we were happy – and more than a little surprised – to see Bearing Arms report one of its own contributors, John Petrolino, received multiple awards from the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists for a number of articles he wrote last year.
Bearing Arms noted:
Petrolino won first place for Best Coverage of State Government for his series of articles highlighting potential abuses of the supposedly "shall issue" carry permitting system adopted by the Garden State after the Supreme Court's decision in Bruen. John documented excessive wait times for gun owners as well as a disproportionate number of denials for Black applicants in many counties; research that was corroborated by the group Rise Against Hate, which doesn't generally pay much attention to 2A issues.
Petrolino also won first place for Best Coverage of Municipal Government for his Bearing Arms story "Permit to Carry Denial Over a Driving Record?", as well as a second place award in the same category for a series of articles here at Bearing Arms documenting the fact that "Gun Ownership is Alive and Well in the Garden State," which includes a piece on a north Jersey Friends of NRA dinner.
Finally, Petrolino received second place in the Best Short Documentary category for his interview with gun owner John Kabourakis, who defended himself and his family against a home invader.
This recognition is just more proof that all is not lost in New Jersey, one of the most anti-gun states in America. We have reported on a number of towns in New Jersey that have been working against the anti-gun legislature to offer some relief to the Garden State’s gun owners.
At least a dozen New Jersey municipalities have decided to refund all or substantially all the increased fees required to obtain a permit to carry—increased fees imposed by the state after the 2022 landmark decision in the NRA-backed case of NYSRPA v. Bruen.
While New Jersey, along with a handful of other states, remains mired in Second Amendment denialism and resistance, honest and credible reporting on how this translates to ordinary people still proved compelling to normally anti-gun journalists. That is both heartening and instructive. Petrolino’s stories were meticulously researched and sourced. They often highlighted the stories of relatable people caught up in no-win bureaucratic scenarios.
Rights, and their abuse, aren’t just abstract concepts when portrayed through this sort of vivid and dogged reporting. If these stories can gain traction with mainstream journalists in New Jersey, seemingly they could do so anywhere.
Truth, it is said, is a stubborn thing. And it takes stubborn, independent-minded, and resilient professionals to boldly pursue and articulate it where it might otherwise be suppressed by or unpopular to the powers that be. That can make all the difference when advocating for rights those same powers would like to see disappear.
Congratulations John! We look forward to seeing your work continue in 2026.
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