GetReligion readers, I have a question for you. How many of you are part of religious congregations that have ended up in the news? Perhaps even more than once?
When your pews are in the news
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Glass-ceiling puff piece
If you’re a baseball purist, imagine a metro daily publishing a full-length story about the designated-hitter rule and quoting only those who favor it. If you thought “American Idol” was better with Paula Abdul as a judge, imagine a major media report that interviews only fans who believe Ellen DeGeneres is God’s gift to reality TV. Would either piece impress you as quality journalism?
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A father's war against Westboro
If I never had to read another story about the Westboro Baptist Church and its “staged-for-media hatefests” — as Tmatt so aptly described the congregation’s protests last month — I just might make my own sign. “Thank God for small blessings,” it would read. Or something like that.
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LA: A 'political' archbishop arrives
As you would expect, the editors and reporters at the Los Angeles Times have been trying to do some heavy lifting following the announcement that Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio would soon be arriving in the City of Angels.
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I understand the urge, but ...
Trust me, I understand that for many religious leaders — some on the left, but armies on the doctrinal right — it feels good to unleash a holy flood of anger at the mainstream press from time to time. Frankly, I am amazed that newsrooms don’t get picketed every now and then by people with incense and holy water.
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Too much barbecue, too little soul
The big headline on the front page of Sunday’s Charlotte Observer made me want to bite into the story immediately. “Food for the Soul,” it declared in 72-point letters (I’m guessing on the type size). The deck head confirmed the apparently strong religion angle:
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Westboro vs. Southern Baptists lefties
Back in my Colorado journalism days, I attended a national conference that drew a wide variety of people who backed the ordination of women. As I walked around the campground scribbling notes (often with a sharp journalist named Douglas LeBlanc), I became aware of just how much diversity was present in that body of believers.
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Secretive or standard operating procedure?
Having a personal history with the Mormon church, I think I’m more aware than most that the church is controversial. There are certainly elements of the church’s theology and history that feed that perception, but the fact remains that much of the news coverage of the church has a whiff of sensationalism.
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Theodicy, fire and mental illness
As long-time readers will recall, one of the basic religion-news templates used in the mainstream press is closely linked to a theological term — “theodicy.” While many people will define this term in different ways, the discussions almost always spiral back to this question: Why does evil exist in a universe created by a loving God?
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