A reader submitted a story from CNN that has the strangest headline and lede:
Il cavaliere's cliff-hanger
I’ve been pondering why it’s important, as we GetReligionistas do from time to time, to venture beyond our shores to either see how American media cover stories in foreign countries, or the diffferent ways in which foreign journalists cover religion through the lens of their own cultures. We love to make merry with the British press and their sometimes outrageous tendency to make a lot out of a very little and for sometimes dancing on the cliff of truth — but do we understand why? It’s not only that the British market is competitive — the way the Brits cover religion says something about English culture.
Back it up, please
The other day a reader sent in a story submission with the note, “The story does a good job of laying out the canon law of the bishops’ retirement and why this is curious.” It included a link to a very brief Associated Press report about Pope Benedict XVI accepting the early retirement of an outspoken bishop in Pennsylvania. At the time, it didn’t seem terribly noteworthy, but it was just a straightforward and concise summary of canon law.
Bonjour!
As Doug LeBlanc bids farewell, I say hello. Doug and I have been friends, fellow pilgrims and professional peers for many years. Now we’re more like two bloggers passing in the night.
GetReligion changes: Rocky mountain hire
Let’s face it, GetReligion.org already had strong ties to Colorado and now they are about to get stronger.
Birthing babies and other delights
Okay, I know readers are getting testy about all of the Ted Kennedy coverage (believe me, it’s wearing on me, too) but I have just one final story to highlight. It’s not about Kennedy per se but it uses his death as a hook to discuss the death of large Irish-American families in general. The New York Times story by Michael Wilson is worth highlighting because it does what so few stories about fertility do — it discusses how religion plays a role in the number of children women have. Huzzah! After making the case that Irish-American family size has plummeted, we’re told:
But was it right?
On Saturday, a multi-bylined story in the Washington Post wrote that terrorists became helpful intelligence assets after — and only after — they were subjected to the CIA’s harshest interrogation methods, including waterboarding.
One man's story, wrapped in tricky facts
Let me begin by expressing my deepest and most sincere sympathies for reporter Ron Cassie of The Frederick News-Post.
Tryin' to make me go to rehab...
Bacchanals at his residence, liaisons with prostititutes, an ambiguous relationship with a teenage girl — allegations against the Italian Prime Minister have been roiling the country for months.
