OK, I admit it. I can't get enough of LDS-related news. In the new, brave world of the Internet, watching LDS news can become an obsession, so the MMO shares his favorite sources of LDS-related news.
Yes, part of that addiction is motivated by the role as the Mormon Media Observer, but a lifelong interest in LDS news can be credited to a parents' subscription to the Deseret News. While the rest of the paper made it to the trash fairly quickly, Mom always saved the Church News section of the paper until it was stacked high next to the magazine stand holding the Ensign, New Era and Friend. I looked forward to the Church News at home and later as a missionary in Korea. It was a link to the worldwide church.
Today anyone can sample from a smorgasbord of sources. Here are some of the MMO's favorite ways to read LDS news in no particular order:
Google News Alerts. By programming in key words such as "LDS," "Mormon" and "Latter-day Saints," you can get feeds via e-mail or RSS from Google's online searches. Obviously, you can enter other keywords such as "BYU" or "temples."
FAIR's Front Page. The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR) provides clippings from the news about the LDS Church and general religious trends. You can subscribe to the daily e-mail at the group's website. The MMO would like FAIR to consider offering a searchable archives and an RSS feed of the service.
Mormon Times. Yes, I better say that since they pay a freelance fee for MMO columns. Editors at the MoTimes do a great job of watching for mentions about Latter-day Saints and stories in the news around the world. I also enjoy the Bloggernacle Back Bench for links to less formal blogs and social media. I recommend an RSS feed of the Mormon Times in an RSS reader such as Google Reader.
LDS Newsroom. You can monitor official church news releases and statements, and an RSS feed is available.
LDS Twitter feed. If you want to monitor tweets with the hash tags "#lds" or "#mormon," go to Twitter search for those key words with a hash tag. After you get the search results you can subscribe to an RSS feed of results with the hash tags. Please note you may have to wade through some trash and anti-Mormon tweets to get to the good stuff here.
Mormon News Watch. This blog presents news from selected LDS-related news stories. I don't know much more about the site than Chris Pearson is listed as the designer. An RSS feed is available.
While the MMO has attempted to find out more about who posts news on LDSfiles.com and specifically the LDS news section, the section continues to offer a consistent stream of LDS-related news. An RSS feed is also available.
The Times and Seasons blog links to LDS-related news and blog posts. An RSS feed is available.
Here are some general websites dealing with news and commentary about media and religion:
USA Today religion page is a great collection of national religion news stories from USA Today.
Quoted often by the MMO, GetReligion.org surveys how the media covers religion. The commentary is usually spot-on in noting the deficiencies of how journalists misunderstand the religion beat. M.W. and M.Z. Hemingway give some of the best analysis of the coverage of the LDS Church.
The MMO has always appreciated the thoughtful coverage National Public Radio religion page gives religion. If you don't have time to pore over all the information contained on all of these sites, the MMO will continue to do his best to find the best highlights and lowlights of LDS-related coverage and general religion news.
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