Why does the AP have to go to church critics as the go-to guys for commentary on the Church?
Yesterday, Jennifer Dobner of the AP, wrote a story on Church leadership succession which mostly quoted two outspoken Church critics, Grant Palmer and Ed Firmage (”WWII vet, 80, likely next Mormon leader“). This led Ryan at RomneyExperience to say:
Hint: When covering a story within Mormonism, if you find that your three quoted sources are a famously disfellowshipped Mormon (something close to excommunication) a famously lapsed Mormon, and a non-Mormon, consider a re-write.
Perhaps sensing some problems with her sources, Dobner filed another story last night based on the commentary of D. Michael Quinn and Steve Benson (”Mormon succession holds little suspense“). At least it includes comments from Richard Bushman and Richard Ostling, but it also fails to mention that Benson is an ardent ex-Mormon, not just a “grandson of former church president Ezra Taft Benson.”
GetReligion rightly questions why church critics are used in this kind of story but missed the first article.
The Church has put plenty of material on its Newsroom website for reporters to use and I’m sure a spokesperson would be more than happy to offer a statement on behalf of the Church. Instead the AP has to resort to church critics. I would suggest that Dobner get a bigger Rolodex.
Another example why Mormons should get more involved in the old and new media.
Tags: anti-mormon, media
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30 January 2008 at 5:35 pm
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30 January 2008 at 5:42 pm
Chris H.
Ed Firmage was nothing but nice about Monson in that article. He is still a great Mormon intellectual, no matter his current standing in the Church.
30 January 2008 at 5:56 pm
David H. Sundwall
Chris -
He was nice to Pres. Monson. But the point wasn’t so much the content of the articles but her selection of sources.
As a church scholar Firmage is well-known for his criticism and he has been quite public about leaving the Church.
When he was my law professor, he took his direct descendancy from Brigham Young and Hugh B. Brown very seriously. He always reminded us of it when he let us know what he thought about the Church in class.
I don’t think the AP reporter would have gone to him merely as an author of “Zion in the Courts.”
30 January 2008 at 8:27 pm
Michael
I found quoting Firmage extremely odd as well.
If I were approaching this from a cynical standpoint, I would suggest that the AP reporter could interview Firmage over a couple of beers and put the tab on her AP credit card, while an interview with a church spokesman wouldn’t get any more “adult” than pie at the Lion House. But that would be overly cynical of me.
31 January 2008 at 11:47 am
tiredmormon
Maybe news media find it difficult to get straight answers out of the church considering the recent Q&A from Fox News. Maybe the newsroom contains incredible spin, and is more political than straightforward. Maybe Grant Palmer can better understand the context because of his lifelong attachment to the church.
The associated press does not need to parrot whatever goes up on the newsroom. Sadly, the church thinks it can control news media discourse and that is reinforced when the membership cries when non-official sources are used.
31 January 2008 at 12:31 pm
David H. Sundwall
tiredmormon -
Regardless of your characterization of what the Church would say, wouldn’t a responsible article at least try to go to the Church as a source?
The AP doesn’t need to “parrot” anyone, Church nor foe. Why then go overwhelmingly to the foes?
The Church does not try to control the media at all. The first AP stories ran as is in the Deseret News (click on the first link).
I’m fine with non-offical sources being used, even hostile sources. How about using _one_ official source?
31 January 2008 at 1:44 pm
tiredmormon
I agree, every article should use at least one official source. But the question was why would the AP only used Palmer and Ed…and that was my best guess.
Btw, what does “to the foes” mean? Are you saying that Palmer is a foe? Writing a pretty straightforward book with honest intentions and then begging not to be ex’d makes you foe?
31 January 2008 at 1:53 pm
David H. Sundwall
Perhaps “foe” is too strong a word.
But Palmer’s “Insider’s View of Mormon Origins” isn’t exactly friendly.
1 February 2008 at 9:39 am
Phouchg
A person who may not be a member of the church can still be knowledgable on church-related matters. I would rather have an informed non-member discussing church issues than a faithful members who knows all “milk” and no “meat”. The purpose of news reporting is not to proselyte or advocate a religion, it is to communicate facts objectively.
This is much ado about nothing.
1 February 2008 at 11:37 am
tiredmormon
I will take truth over friendly any day of the week.