Observing the coverage of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this
summer has been like observing a three-ring circus when the elephants get
loose.The church is still reeling from the negative implications of the
FLDS Texas compound raid. National Public Radio, PR Week, The Associated Press and the church itself reported about the LDS-FLDS confusion among
Americans. That said, the church is still a target of biased
journalism coming from arrogance, ignorance and just plain lazy reporting.Accidental touristsKevin Brooker of the Calgary Herald visited Temple Square and
wrote his "ponderings" in a column that has stirred reaction among Saints (and also here) in Alberta.Among other things he wrote; "I probably don't have to tell you that Mormon
theology is arcane and, frankly, astonishing in its claims. But is it any more
so than that of the mainstream Christianity which often derides it?"Then Brooker makes a big leap from Temple Square to the FLDS Texas case and
"Big Love."Temple Square was also the scene of another example of biased "parachute
journalism" where reporters drop in for a quick story without checking their
facts. In a recent travel story, Joanna Walters from the New Zealand Herald gave readers a litany of negative
descriptions about the church and Temple Square including "offbeat," "bizarre,"
"squeamish," "zealous" and "nervous." So where is the balance and
objectivity? She should have stuck to the virtues of the ski slopes.
Here's a sample of what Walters wrote:"It is not unusual for foreign visitors to be squeamish about this offbeat
religion, but rather than tiptoe around the subject all week, it is easier to
plunge in and take a stroll around the temple's grounds, reading the plaques
that explain its bizarre origins."Ironically, Brooker and Walters were only steps away from sources that could
have helped balance their writing. But don't let the facts get in the way of a
good story.Caught in a Kenyan crossfireThe church has been caught in the political crossfire in Kenya. A Kenyan
minister is embroiled in controversy after allegedly granting work permits to
church members and others without proper approval. Of course, the implication of
the biased reporting is that members of the "controversial" LDS Church somehow
were undeserving of the permits. None of the articles mentioned
what church members were doing in Kenya. In all of the reporting it appears no
effort was made to contact the church for response. See coverage here, here and here.Bright spotsThere are some bright spots in summer reporting including stories about local
missionaries in Lodi, Calif., and Bennington, Vt.; the Twin Falls temple; a story about food storage in Washington state and a reporter who joined the cast of the Hill Cumorah Pageant for
a day. The New York Times redeemed itself to a degree after presenting a
balanced story about missionaries who serve the deaf community in the Bronx. During
the Mitt Romney campaign, missionaries were made to look foolish when they said
they didn't read the newspaper and weren't following the Romney campaign.Outrageously laughableLeave it to London's Daily Mail to come up with the funniest of news
about Mormons. Under the headline "Mormon Conquest," the tabloid cites unnamed
"critics" who claim that Disney's "High School Musical" movie franchise is
inspired and backed by the LDS Church and, gasp, there are Mormons in the
production, the Mormon-dominated state government helped pay for the film and
that its filming in Salt Lake City helps promote the LDS Church. Have these
Brits even watched the film? The film is set in New Mexico and most kids who
watch would have no clue where it was filmed or the faith of the actors. They
certainly aren't singing and dancing to "Come, Come Ye Saints."