Get Religion is a national and global journalism site focusing on how the mainstream press covers religion news in politics, entertainment, business and sports.
Analyzing the media coverage of the Roman Catholic sex abuse crisis has been difficult simply because of the disgusting nature of the topic. But perhaps one of the most difficult articles to read was this April Newsweek story putting the abuse by priests in context of the larger problem:
The Washington Post had a story about a Virginia native son charged with joining a terrorist group that was well-written and filled with lots of details. But came up short nonetheless.
Let’s face it, there are not many controversial fast-food chains in America when it comes to issues of religion, politics and culture (as opposed to super-size-me issues of fat, cholesterol, calories, salt and other forms of human passion).
Last year, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to change its doctrine to allow gay clergy in committed sexual relationships. The Associated Press ran a story about one of the consequences of that vote:
Two weeks ago, the Sunday Boston Globe magazine ran an essay — not a news story, I admit — that I have been thinking about ever since. It was called “What I Believe” and it was written by Charles Pierce, a staff writer at the publication.
Did someone up there fail to get the memo that the National Enquirer isn’t exactly the most trusted outlet on earth?
Some reporters just react to events and press releases. Others do a good job of keeping the big picture in mind.
When cultural and religious conservatives talk about the whole Journolist media mini-storm, here is the kind of quotation from The Daily Caller coverage that has them hot and bothered. This particular burst of rhetoric comes from the DC story about members of the Journolist — or JournoList — sharing their feelings about the conservative feminist that they already loved to hate, only moments after she entered national politics — Sarah Palin.
One is ordinary. Two is coincidence. But three is a growing trend — be it three teenagers with nose rings, three soccer moms supporting the same political candidate or three pastors tweeting from the pulpit.
