Journalists' lax blogging standards

It seems that journalists apply different standards when blogging than when writing for traditional news outlets.The Des Moines Register Iowa Politics Insider blog recently ran this headline: "Anti-gay, Mormon-funded group spreading lies and fear in Iowa, group says." The article then goes on to read:"One Iowa, the state's largest civil rights organization for gays and lesbians, is speaking out about an out-of-state Mormon-funded group that's spent at least $86,080 on a special House race to fight marriage equality for same-sex couples."After a long list of charges that seems to play on suspicions of Mormons, the newspaper said it tried to contact the National Organization for Marriage representative in Iowa. The bloggers should have also tried to call the LDS Church which could have clarified the church's involvement in Iowa and the California Proposition 8 battle.The Salt Lake Tribune's Salt Lake Crawler blog makes a regular habit, of "riffing" articles about Mormons and LDS-related, usually with a sardonic spin. Blogger Glen Warchol's favorite targets are Deseret News, the Mormon Times and the LDS Church. Among his recent riffs include mocking Don Osmond Jr. and, like the reporting above, Warchol doesn't challenge the following in another post:"Most of the money being pumped into a referendum drive came from the National Organization for Marriage ($160,000,) and various Catholic groups ($150,000). Gay rights groups claim NOM is a Mormon Church 'front group.' Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate warned Maine election officials that the tactic is similar to the 'money laundering' LDS Church did in California." Karger originally made his charges in a Huffington Post column.The fact that blogs have a different, more casual tone than regular news stories, doesn't absolve the writers of following journalistic standards of verification and fair play. Particularly, if they are associated with a legitimate news organization, they should be held to a higher standard.Short takes: One view of LDS family history workColumnist Dan Waddell looks at the LDS work of gathering genealogical records in the U.K.'s Independent newspaper. The article is more balanced than the headline "Chasing the dead: genealogy and the art of recruitment." To his credit, Waddell did take the time to get a church response to the piece.Avoid defensivenessElder M. Russell Ballard gave good advice at a BYU Commencement by suggesting Saints should not take on a defensive approach when responding to people about the church.Favorite quote: "In our interactions with others are we expecting always to have to defend ourselves? If so, I think we need to make a course correction." Elder Ballard said. "It is inconsistent with where we are today as a church and as a great body of followers of Jesus Christ."Official blogSpeaking of news blogs, the LDS Church Public Affairs Department has its own blog. A recent installment chronicles the dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple.Service in AfricaLatter-day Saints in Ghana garnered media attention by serving in Mallam. LDS in IndiaA recent article about Mormons in India was picked up by the international news agency Reuters.