That would be Richard Ostling, the veteran religion writer for the Associated Press. This is the same Richard Ostling who did such high-quality God-beat work for Time in the days before cover stories on the agony of dog overbreeding and the like.

“Out the door” means that I am going to be on the road for the next few days and so will Doug. I will post when I can during lectures at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. I am sure that it will be a relaxing time, since there are never any controversies in Waco concerning religion and journalism.

Los Angeles Times media columnist Tim Rutten (access requires subscription) is asking some serious questions about the media blitz that is driving the same-sex marriage wave from the blue-state Northeast to the blue-state West.

Laurel Snyder is the Jewish Student Life Coordinator at the University of Iowa and, as of late, she also has worked overtime as the official spokesperson for all of Jewry — or at least Jews that live in certain zip codes near certain newspapers. She does not seem to have enjoyed this ink-stained role, according to her essay at The Revealer.

According to Variety, there is an interesting dance going on right now between the New York Times and some sources in the Hollywood establishment.

Leaders of the Religion Newswriters Association are not very happy (once again) with the leaders of the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference.

I am happy to report that the library at the Poynter Institute has created a quick-reference page with resources for professionals who walk the God beat.

It appears that God-beat professionals are finally going to get to see “The Passion of the Christ” — on Monday. This is when run-of-the-mill press screenings are being held across the land.