Category Archives: The Scoop

Round Two for Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook

by Rosalina Nieves The position of U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom has remained vacant for the past two years. This has some critics wondering what approach, if any, the White House is taking toward religious freedom issues. It also … Continue reading

Posted in The Scoop | Comments Off on Round Two for Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook

A Free Pass for Newt?

by Jessica Donath Last weekend, former House speaker Newt Gingrich announced he would run for president in 2012. Only hours later, he spoke to a congregation of evangelical Christians in San Antonio about the greatest threats he believes the country … Continue reading

Posted in The Scoop | Comments Off on A Free Pass for Newt?

Latter-Day Limelight

by Brie Loskota Could this really be what Maureen Dowd calls “The Mormon Moment“? The catalyst for Dowd's comment isn't a controversy or crisis but rather a sassy piece of theater. Using the old-media platform of the Broadway musical, “South … Continue reading

Posted in The Scoop | Comments Off on Latter-Day Limelight

Suspicious Packaging: Covering Strife in Israel-Palestine

After a lull, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict erupted full-force last Saturday when Hamas and other Gazan groups lobbed 50 rockets into southern Israel. Israel retaliated, killing four civilians, and both sides continued their assaults. On Wednesday, a bomb exploded at the … Continue reading

Posted in The Scoop | Comments Off on Suspicious Packaging: Covering Strife in Israel-Palestine

CNN's Middle East Wizardry: Pay No Attention to that Horror Behind the Curtain

by Dalia Hashad Last Sunday's edition of Wolf Blitzer's CNN program, “The Situation Room,” yielded one of the most groan-inducing moments in recent news media coverage of Islam outside of Fox News. It occurred during Blitzer's interview with Fouad Ajami, … Continue reading

Posted in The Scoop | Comments Off on CNN's Middle East Wizardry: Pay No Attention to that Horror Behind the Curtain

Causes and Effects: An American View of the Japanese Crisis

by Kevin Healey In his New York Times op-ed on Friday, Nicholas Kristof suggested that while the Japanese government may be guilty of incompetence, the character of the Japanese people is worthy of admiration. After the 1995 Kobe earthquake, Kristof … Continue reading

Posted in The Scoop | Comments Off on Causes and Effects: An American View of the Japanese Crisis

Won't You Not Be My Neighbor? Culture Wars and Public Media

by J. Terry Todd It's been a tough couple of weeks at NPR. The conservative video-sting operation that brought down ACORN and threatened Planned Parenthood has now turned its attention to public broadcasting. Video-punker James O'Keefe, a self-described “investigative journalist” … Continue reading

Posted in The Scoop | Comments Off on Won't You Not Be My Neighbor? Culture Wars and Public Media

Fallen Angels, Risen Apes: Covering Islam and Evolution

by Salman Hameed An Imam at a mosque in London is facing death-threats in response to his support for evolution and his liberal views on hijab. The imam in question, Dr. Usama Hasan, is the vice-chairman at Leyton Mosque and … Continue reading

Posted in The Scoop | Comments Off on Fallen Angels, Risen Apes: Covering Islam and Evolution

The End of the (Evangelical) World As We Know It

by Richard Flory Several recent reports suggest that the evangelical Christian world, as we have come to know it over the last 30 years, may be changing forever. Much has been written since the last presidential election about the rise … Continue reading

Posted in The Scoop | Comments Off on The End of the (Evangelical) World As We Know It

Muslims and Protest in the OC: Taking the Broad View

by Bethany Firnhaber A few weeks ago, hundreds of protesters stood outside the Yorba Linda Community Center hurling insults at Muslim families making their way inside to attend a fundraiser for the Islamic Circle of North America Relief, a New … Continue reading

Posted in The Scoop | Comments Off on Muslims and Protest in the OC: Taking the Broad View