Day: February 17, 2010

Lindsey Jacobellis

Published on by mbcoudal1 Comment

I feel really bad about Jacobellis wiping out. I know the feeling. I wipe out a lot. I wipe out almost everyday. But I glance around and hope no one is watching. Then, I get up. I dust myself off quickly and I go. I pretend nothing happened. “Huhn? Me? Wipe out? No! Not at all!”

It must be really stressful to have your whole future and identity depend on your balance on a board for a few minutes flying down an icey hill. A few minutes matters a lot. All the training. All the hours. All the work. Gone in an instant.

I gasp and feel sick when I see figure skaters fall too. I hate it. And yet, I keep watching and gasping and thanking God it’s not me. That when I fall, I hope no one laughs. I hope the cameras are not on me. That millions are not watching. Because life is hard enough. And everyone falls.

Media Bias Against Religion

Published on by mbcoudal1 Comment

Terry Mattingly spoke yesterday to the Religion Communicators Council at the Latter Day Saint’s offices on Broadway at 65th. He’s a religion writer who can be found at:  http://www.getreligion.org/

Mainstream media may be biased against religion. But the reasons, Mattingly says, have to do with a lack of time, space, and resources in newspapers. Also newsrooms are ignorant and perhaps apathetic towards religion, but they are not particularly prejudiced.

To overcome media biases, Mattingly suggests religion journalists realize:

1. Words matter. Cover religious news accuarately.

2. Facts matter. Don’t condense church history and polity.

3. Praise the good; call out the bad, especially in blogs.

4. Do not hide. Use the internet for constructive sharing.

Mattingly advises church leaders not to ask reporters where they go to church. Better to question a reporter’s professionalism than their beliefs. Reporters can be effective at covering stories from faiths outside of their own traditions.

These RCC lunchtime meetings are good opportunities to provoke discussion and deeper thinking about the role of communicators in religion.