Monthly Archives: January 2010

by Jason Ma The debate in France over banning burqas is one of those issues where geopolitics, gender and religion all collide in a train wreck. In terms of media coverage, that collision has raised a cacophony of voices, ranging … Continue reading →

If there had just been the BSG miniseries – Dayeinu If there had been the miniseries and four seasons of BSG – Dayeinu If there had been the miniseries, the four seasons, and the Caprica pilot – Dayeinu But The … Continue reading →

by John D. Adams CNN Wins! Anderson Cooper and his posse narrowly edged out CBS' Kelly Cobjella to reach Haiti first, according to the Los Angeles Times' tally sheet entitled, “Media Hustle to Get to Haiti.” Cooper had cinched his … Continue reading →

Last week a student skipped class and flew to Haiti. He promised to file soon; there'd be lots of real-world religion stories to make up for missed lectures. I'm still waiting, but that's not a complaint. If what I've seen … Continue reading →

by Don Lattin Brit Hume was right about Buddhism – or maybe half right. Earlier this month, the right-wing Fox commentator (redundant) was talking (like practically everyone else on TV) about the sexual sins of Tiger Woods. “He is said … Continue reading →

by J. Terry Todd Media chatter about religion heated up in the past week in response to Brit Hume's come-to-Jesus altar call for Tiger Woods.  The story first got framed as a smack-down between Jesus and the Buddha, and subsequently … Continue reading →

It's sad when veterans leave a beat but the recent exodus of legacy media religion reporters can't be unexpected. The old model is dying, and newsrooms—shuffling dwindling bodies between one desk and the next—can't afford dedicated, in-depth coverage. They can … Continue reading →

by Brie Loskota In his recent–and final–state of the State address, California's lame-duck governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, remarked that California overspends on prisoners and underspends on higher education. He called for a constitutional amendment to ensure that the State would have … Continue reading →

When a leading newspaper turns over valuable real estate to a depressing display of know-nothingism (of the uninformed rather than the nativist variety), there's only one response: Why? Why did the Los Angeles Times run a simple-minded opinion piece on … Continue reading →