What would you do if you were the pastor of an ordinary evangelical church and a member of your flock suddenly became the most controversial person on this planet?
That is what happened to the Rev. Larry Kroon of Wasilla Bible Church when Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska became the GOP nominee to be vice president. To say that all heckfire broke loose would be an understatement. Kroon’s church was, quite literally, invaded by reporters from sea to shining sea and from, literally, all corners of the world.
The professionals showed up, of course. That would be the journalists who are experts at covering politics. After the first stage of hurricane Palin, Kroon realized that many or most of the reporters who were camped out on his church lawn had little or no interest in religion, his church or even the role that faith had played in Palin’s life and career. Many didn’t get it and they didn’t want to.
But, later, he came to realize that many of the reporters he was dealing with were interested in the facts of the story, they did care about accuracy, they wanted to “get religion,” if religion was truly a central part of the story. And — duh — religion was a pretty important factor in what was happening at Wasilla Bible Church. It helped to understand the language. It helped if a reporter didn’t view Kroon and his flock through a strictly partisan, political lens.
After the madness ended, Kroon sat down with a friend of mine — James Stamoolis, who is an educator and writer — and tried to process what he had learned about the news media. The goal was to create a set of tips for clergy, tips on how to work with the press if you want to do so, or have to do so.
I wish I could link to that document, because I think religion-beat professionals would find it interesting. However, it’s not online anywhere (yet). The key to the document is that Kroon came away with a profound respect for many of the journalists he met, while being highly critical of others. The key is trying to separate the journalists from the advocacy journalists, the pros who want information and the pros (or hacks) who want a soundbite that fits the story that is already written inside their heads.
With Palin’s “Going Rogue” memoir hitting the streets, I contacted Stamoolis and then reached Kroon. I’ll post a link to the Scripps Howard News Service column that resulted from that, as soon as one is available. But here are a few tips for religious leaders, drawn from Kroon’s experience (and a bonus point that came out of our discussions):
* Never accept an interview without confirming a reporter’s identity and his or her current employer. Just because someone has written for the Associated Press doesn’t mean that he isn’t currently a blogger for PalinIsAWitch.org or something like that.
* Help reporters understand that private communications between clergy and the faithful are, in fact, privileged and guarded by the same kinds of laws that shield reporters and their sources.
* Keep contact information for community leaders — such as telephone numbers and email addresses for church elders — in a firewall-protected section of your congregation’s website. Post contact information for staffers who are prepared to handle media requests in a timely manner.
* Ask if reporters or producers have experience covering religion news. Some journalists sincerely want factual information that will help them cover a story fairly and accurately, while others “are in a hurry and they simply want what they want. You may think you’re helping them understand who you are and what you believe, but they just want a good quote and then they’re moving on,” said Kroon.
* It may help to post information about your denomination or tradition, including frequently asked questions about worship, media relations, how the congregation is governed and the meaning of unique terms (such as “born again” or “charismatic”) that newcomers will encounter.
* Understand that a two-hour interview may be reduced to 20 seconds and that the journalist decides what goes in that soundbite. So avoid lectures and focus on the key points that you need to make to explain your congregation’s point of view. It’s also important to remember that silence is the reporter’s problem, not your problem.
And, finally, here is one more tip that grew out of our discussions. Long-time GetReligion readers will recognize this, I think.
* In the Internet age, there is no reason that a pastor cannot — as a condition for talking to a reporter — insist on the right to record and transcribe an interview. That way, the professionals on sides of the transaction know that they are on the record and the results, if needed to clarify a point, can be posted online or emailed to a publisher.
Once again, let me stress that Kroon truly came to see the difference between tough, honest, but informed reporters and those who were simply bashing away, trying to work an agenda.
When you see the whole Scripps column, you’ll see some of his quotes about that. In other words, Kroon decided that he is pro-journalism. He is pro-journalist. However, he is also profoundly aware that there are good journalists and there are very bad journalists and people who get caught in these kinds of media storms have to be careful, while they figure out who is who.
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Comments (12) |
November 18, 2009, at 1:54 pm
From the quotes:
As a Wiccan, I find this deeply offensive. There is no existing evidence of any sort that Sarah Palin is a Wiccan, whose members call themselves Witches. Why not Palin IsAJew.org or PalinIsAMormon.org? What sort of journalist allows a member of the clergy to denigrate others this way?
November 18, 2009, at 2:17 pm
Point conceded.
However, I was trying to sum up the insults the LEFT has hurled at Palin.
To capture that point of view, what imaginary name would you have given the site. Remember, the goal was to capture the left’s tone. It has to be worse than PalinIsADummy.org to capture the venom.
November 18, 2009, at 3:08 pm
dalea,
Substitute “B” for “W” in the “web address” and you get the point. In another post, you argued about how the Catholic Church should accommodate its technical use of “scandal” to popular usage. In this case, “witch” is not meant in the *technical* sense of a practitioner of Wicca, but in the popular usage as a substitute for “b****”. (I’d type it out but I don’t know if it would violate this site’s language rules.) So, the rule you applied to the Catholics should apply to you here.
November 18, 2009, at 3:20 pm
How about: PalinIsHillary.com? The attacks on Palin are coming from the same people who savaged Hillary last year, frequently they have the same format and even words thrown at Hillary. Obama’s frat boy pack is going after Palin the same way they went after Hillary. Riverdaughter’s blog The Confluence has three major threads on the subject:
http://riverdaughter.wordpress.com/
This is a major NewMedia PUMA (PartyUnityMyAss) site, devoted both to pushing Progressive policies and dumping on Obama etc. as sexist and mysogentistic. Note, here Progressive women are defending Palin from unfair attack, sort of. See also:
http://alegrescorner.soapblox.net/
for a putdown of the Newsweek cover. Shakessister has another take on this:
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/
What GR calls the left actually is very divided on many issues. Compare the widely beloved lefty Rachel Maddow’s treatment of Palin with fratboy Olberman’s.
November 18, 2009, at 4:04 pm
Other anti-Obama leftist sites:
http://uppitywoman08.wordpress.com/
http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/
http://www.reclusiveleftist.com/
http://thewiddershins.wordpress.com/
http://edgeoforever.wordpress.com/
But that explains why, even Media Matters – which unfortunately used up its credibility by pandering to Obama, noted the sexism
http://bloghopenchangery.wordpress.com/
http://www.partizane.com/
http://farrightdemocrat.blogspot.com/
http://www.punditmom.com/
All of this is from Left blogs.
November 18, 2009, at 5:31 pm
Indeed the rule does apply to me. Which is why I attempt to move the frame every time I see usage like this. I would hope to make using witch as an epithet as the n word and the k word are. Just a little advocacy here.
November 18, 2009, at 6:56 pm
Once during the 1984 campaign, a reporter asked Barbara Bush (a nice lady by the way) to pick the word that best described Geraldine Ferraro. “I can’t say it, but it rhymes with ‘rich,’” Mrs. Bush said. When the comment created a mini-controversy, Barbara Bush said she was referring to the w-word, not the b-word.
A quick-witted columnist soon returned the volley, writing: “What word best describes Barbara Bush? I won’t say it, but it rhymes with class.”
November 18, 2009, at 11:46 pm
Thank you for the links, Dalea!
November 19, 2009, at 11:09 pm
Tmatt, Great column with good sound PR advice.
One small nit: it’s not “firewall-protected” but “password-protected.” Or maybe he meant to say “extranet” (which is different from an intranet or the Internet.)
November 23, 2009, at 4:26 pm
I had the pleasure of interviewing Pastor Kroon (via phone) during the campaign for a story on what Sarah Palin’s candidacy says about the changing roles and expectations of evangelical women. Frankly, after all I knew he had been through, I was astounded that he returned my e-mail with a phone call. He was cautious with me, but ultimately very helpful, and a true gentleman. I hope he and his church have recovered from all of craziness.
November 25, 2009, at 10:57 am
I used to be a deeply offended wiccan too, then I realized my opinions and fighting to be right were harming others, so I wasn’t a good wiccan either, that sucked especially since I wanted to be something, something with some kind of power. I had become a wiccan because I was offended by christians and I realized the truth of God when I realized the power was in Christ not the flawed christians who sometimes say and do stupid things in representing themselves and their opinions and ideas.
As a wiccan I couldn’t harm none - I continued to make “helpful suggestions” as to who we should punish, punch or provoke next thereby taking my offense and pushing it onward. I did not “harm none.” And the God of the wiccan creed is a god of equal proportion of my deeds being dealt back to me… No grace, no mercy.
I needed, desperately needed grace and mercy!!! Desperately needed miracles because I couldn’t stop doing harms even in my good intentions.
Now I experience miracles daily based on the truth and love of Christ in my life, I’m a flawed sinful being, can’t stop myself from doing …. saying the wrong things, but in the beauty and glory of God, I find miracles! Miracles! I am not Christ, I just wish I could be more like Him, more loving, more accepting, more understanding. More faithful, more selfless.
Delea is right, we should.. no “I” should strive more to understand and reflect love and not be so condemning accusing and judgemental, it’s not my job. God said LOVE of him and others was most important and I still tend to deflect and reflect anger and judgment even in my best intensions.
Delea, from the bottom of my heart I apologize for myself and people of my ilk who have reflected Christ’s message and love poorly to you! Please do not condemn the God by the messengers who carry Him poorly! We are not a good reflection of his message of hope, love and grace unless you look past our mouths and realize most of us live surpassing our judgemental ideas of right and wrong.
Thanks Delea! You spoke truth today! And I can still see I have a long way to go before I truly call myself a disciple of the God I want to represent!
The one instruction that they don’t hit on in any of these suggestions is Pray and believe that God is in absolutely everything, showing the love surpass worldly sin.
In the immortal words of a favored writer:
December 9, 2009, at 3:17 am
tmatt,
Thanks for the excellent article. Please note that the correct web link for WBC is http://www.wasillabible.org. The link you used is a temporary page I set up after the fire that is now obsolete (I’ll delete it soon now that I’ve noticed it’s still up).
Thanks,
Ken