GetReligion takes NPR to task over one-sided coverage

(GetReligion) - Try to imagine a story about the state of tense talks between Democrats and Republicans that only offered material drawn from interviews with Republicans, even when talking about the beliefs and aspirations of the Democrats.

Try to imagine a report about, oh, talks between liberal Episcopalians and conservative Anglicans that only featured commentary from one side or the other (actually, in some mainline publications that’s pretty easy to imagine). Or how about a pre-Super Bowl story that tried to cover the strengths and weaknesses of the two teams in the big game, but only talked to experts skilled in covering one of the teams or only talked to the coaches on one team. Can you imagine veteran journalists doing that?

This brings me to a report by NPR superstar Sylvia Poggioli that ran, online, under this headline: “The 1,000-Year-Old Schism That Pope Francis Seeks To Heal.”

Hear me now: This is not a fatally flawed news story, although some of the information is rather shallow. For example, any discussion of attempts to heal the painful schism between the ancient churches of East and West simply has to begin with, or at least mention, the efforts of St. John Paul II and this issue was a high priority for Pope Benedict XVI as well. NPR didn’t need to get these two popes into the headline, but one sentence in the story itself? That’s a must.

Also, let me note that the sources quoted in the piece are very qualified, especially when it comes to all things Rome. However, let’s see if we can spot a pattern in this report...
Complete article here.

Comments

  1. Ecclesial VigilanteMay 23, 2014 at 1:05 AM

    I ignore, as a rule, anything the mainstream media has to say about the Bishop of Rome. Whether its casting Pius XII as a "traditionalist" (he wasn't), portraying John XXIII as a "liberal" (he wasn't), or anything Frankie says, they are very good at twisting a few points to fill their narrative.

    As Catholics, Orthodox, orthodox Catholics, and catholic Orthodox, let's focus on what is actually happening and not the spin that some idiot with a Journalism degree puts to it.

    ReplyDelete

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