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Mormon Media Watch: For journalists, interaction will tear down intolerance
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8







And, while I defend the right of people to communicate through the internet, There are a lot of hateful websites posing as christian ministries. I have found several who's sole purpose is to bash Mormons. I can't see how that improves the spirituality of their membership.
At the end of the day however, I think reporters must be held personally responsible for the content of their reporting. I am not talking about censorship, but accuracy of the facts they communicate. Some of the "stuff" I have heard lately comes directly from some of the most hateful websites.
I recently went to 1/2 Price books and the only "Mormon" books were anti-mormon literature. Much of the internet is the same way. A lot of the bad, very little truth.
I've always been happy when people believed enough to go to church. I've never cared that it wasn't mine and that they didn't believe exactly the way I do. It's sad that others don't do the same.
Seriously, why don't more you of you long-time LDS Utahns consider moving east for awhile? We need medical professionals in the northland especially. You could make a real difference here.
Just to help get pass some misunderstanding about 'not finding the right Mormons, or Mormon journalists' in order to get 'thorough reporting, good sourcing and fair play.' I would like to suggest, something.
I believe it would help for the 'right Mormons' to provide facts and references to those facts. For myself, it was most helpful. I found that you will get different responses from Mormons 'across the board.'
Facts are what journalist need, and should have....not opinions or unsubstantiated reports.
People need to understand that there is always someone in the crowd who knows when a Mormon of any standing respond with half-truths, double-talk or misleading statements, or when they start with statements that critize the person who questions...such as, 'these kinds of questions are usually asked by people who mean to cause us harm'... not so, I've asked those same kinds of questions,...out of ignorance.
A response like that, causes people to find their own answers....good, or bad.
For example, once they read that blacks were formerly denied the priesthood, they imagine a parade of horribles, including segregation and all the usual racial discrimination. But none of that is true.
Even before 1978, there were black Mormons (including in my ward in SLC in the 1950s) and were integrated in "white" congregations. They had callings that do not require priesthood, including teaching Sunday School.
Most important, there was no general discrimination in society in Utah, no segregated schools, etc., like so many other "Northern" cities have gone through. The first Mormons were Northerners, not slave owners. The next wave of converts was from anti-slavery Britain, and then Scandinavia! These were not people who had ever discriminated against blacks in their lives.
Additionally, Mormons have always baptized and ordained Indians, Latinos, Asians, and Polynesians.