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Here is another example (click here for previous discussion of a similar case) of a major story from Britain that needs — somehow — to be confirmed at a level great than the voice of one person who wields great authority. Consider the lede in the Telegraph report by Jonathan Wynne-Jones:
For three years, reporters told us that the Democratic Party had gotten religion; that Democratic leaders were seeking to “level the praying field” and embracing the religious left; that Democratic presidential candidates felt comfortable discussing their faith.
One of the many reasons why I am not the world’s best reporter is that I like to ruminate on events for a while before I write about them. In a 24-hour news business, this is not the best trait.
For political junkies like myself, tonight’s Iowa caucuses is kind of like the first day of Christmas. Finally, after so much waiting, we finally get to find out what is in those political Christmas presents.
If you are a Western reader, don’t be surprised if this Al Jazeera story on the increasing presence of radicals in Indonesia doesn’t fit your typical Associated Press or Reuters news story. But the cultural and religious presumptions provide insights are worth looking at briefly. Also buried within the story is a bit of news that probably could use some more reporting and explaining.
This is the time of year, of course, when news organizations post their Top 10 lists for the year. On the religion beat, the list that gets the most attention is the one produced by a poll of the members of the Religion Newswriters Association. Click here to see it’s announcement of the results.
At a time when elections in other countries lead to assassinations and rioting, it is sobering how relatively peaceful election battles in the United States are. Yesterday’s news that post-election violence in Kenya led to the deaths of as many as 275 people and included the torching of a church where people had sought shelter was particularly sobering.
The Washington Post acknowledged yesterday that contrary to its pronunciation 14 years ago, evangelicals are not “easily led.”
I’m sure all of you have your countdown clocks going for the first major event in 2008 — the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses! So much drama, so many television commercials, so many cliches and platitudes. The Los Angeles Times published a story about former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and his roving army of homeschooled children/precinct captains.
