Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
From LDS.org:
SALT LAKE CITY 17 November 2009
An informed citizenry, it is often said, is the bulwark of democracy. The basic principles of journalistic integrity – objectivity in reporting, detachment from personal bias, and disinterested duty to the truth – are essential in facilitating public trust and civil discourse. All individuals and institutions, including churches, share an interest in contributing to these worthy goals.
The advent of social media has changed the way people gather, consume and analyze information. Blogs, Twitter and Facebook, for example, are expanding the channels for public participation in receiving and sharing information. Likewise, these platforms are becoming important tools for media organizations to interact with their audiences. Old, comfortable lines are being blurred. The new values of openness and authenticity are often seen as colliding with the traditional values of editorial oversight and authority. Private expression runs seamlessly into public expression. News organizations across the country are doing their best to adapt to changes as they develop. Nonetheless, these dynamics have not altered the fundamental ethical imperatives of journalism.
This duality between traditional media and new media has created a situation where journalists often report by day and blog by night. For example, a reporter can write an objective news story for an organization’s public website and then later add a personal slant about it on a blog, Facebook or Twitter. Though the perceived distance between personal and public writing might make sense to the reporter, the reader is often left confused. People still expect journalists to be impartial reporters of the facts. If objectivity is absent in one platform, it cannot be present in the other. Trust cannot thrive on contradiction. Nevertheless, these conflicts can be managed with proper rules and guidelines. Openness can co-exist with objectivity, but not with open bias.
Among news organizations grappling with these issues, National Public Radio has done a commendable job of establishing guidelines that promote journalistic ethics by delineating clear boundaries between the private and the public. In doing so, they inject a welcome dose of order into an often unwieldy world of conflicting information Excerpted below are NPR’s “commonsense rules” that can also apply to everyone in the field of journalism:
Information from your Facebook page, your blog entries, and your tweets - even if you intend them to be personal messages to your friends or family - can be easily circulated beyond your intended audience. This content, therefore, represents you and NPR to the outside world as much as a radio story or story for NPR.org does.
Recognize that everything you write or receive on a social media site is public. Anyone with access to the web can get access to your activity on social media sites. And regardless of how careful you are in trying to keep them separate, in your online activity, your professional life and your personal life overlap.
You should conduct yourself in social media forums with an eye to how your behavior or comments might appear if we were called upon to defend them as a news organization. In other words, don't behave any differently online than you would in any other public setting.
You must not advocate for political or other polarizing issues online. This extends to joining online groups or using social media in any form (including your Facebook page or a personal blog) to express personal views on a political or other controversial issue that you could not write for the air or post on NPR.org.
Furthermore, in an effort to ensure a respectful, reciprocal relationship between staff and readers and to promote more civil online participation, many news organizations are establishing guidelines to rein in contentious comments. For example, the Cleveland Plain Dealer recently issued a new commenting policy seeking to end bigoted comments, while at the same time urging its staff members to meaningfully engage with readers. Likewise, the Boston Globe has created a “member agreement” stipulating general rules for reader participation on its site: “You agree not to use language that abuses or discriminates on the basis of race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual preference, age, region, disability, etc. Hate speech of any kind is grounds for immediate and permanent suspension of access to all or part of the Service.” Hopefully, such moves among respected news organizations such as these will be duplicated by media organizations concerned about the low levels of public trust and civil discourse.
SALT LAKE CITY 17 November 2009
An informed citizenry, it is often said, is the bulwark of democracy. The basic principles of journalistic integrity – objectivity in reporting, detachment from personal bias, and disinterested duty to the truth – are essential in facilitating public trust and civil discourse. All individuals and institutions, including churches, share an interest in contributing to these worthy goals.
The advent of social media has changed the way people gather, consume and analyze information. Blogs, Twitter and Facebook, for example, are expanding the channels for public participation in receiving and sharing information. Likewise, these platforms are becoming important tools for media organizations to interact with their audiences. Old, comfortable lines are being blurred. The new values of openness and authenticity are often seen as colliding with the traditional values of editorial oversight and authority. Private expression runs seamlessly into public expression. News organizations across the country are doing their best to adapt to changes as they develop. Nonetheless, these dynamics have not altered the fundamental ethical imperatives of journalism.
This duality between traditional media and new media has created a situation where journalists often report by day and blog by night. For example, a reporter can write an objective news story for an organization’s public website and then later add a personal slant about it on a blog, Facebook or Twitter. Though the perceived distance between personal and public writing might make sense to the reporter, the reader is often left confused. People still expect journalists to be impartial reporters of the facts. If objectivity is absent in one platform, it cannot be present in the other. Trust cannot thrive on contradiction. Nevertheless, these conflicts can be managed with proper rules and guidelines. Openness can co-exist with objectivity, but not with open bias.
Among news organizations grappling with these issues, National Public Radio has done a commendable job of establishing guidelines that promote journalistic ethics by delineating clear boundaries between the private and the public. In doing so, they inject a welcome dose of order into an often unwieldy world of conflicting information Excerpted below are NPR’s “commonsense rules” that can also apply to everyone in the field of journalism:
Information from your Facebook page, your blog entries, and your tweets - even if you intend them to be personal messages to your friends or family - can be easily circulated beyond your intended audience. This content, therefore, represents you and NPR to the outside world as much as a radio story or story for NPR.org does.
Recognize that everything you write or receive on a social media site is public. Anyone with access to the web can get access to your activity on social media sites. And regardless of how careful you are in trying to keep them separate, in your online activity, your professional life and your personal life overlap.
You should conduct yourself in social media forums with an eye to how your behavior or comments might appear if we were called upon to defend them as a news organization. In other words, don't behave any differently online than you would in any other public setting.
You must not advocate for political or other polarizing issues online. This extends to joining online groups or using social media in any form (including your Facebook page or a personal blog) to express personal views on a political or other controversial issue that you could not write for the air or post on NPR.org.
Furthermore, in an effort to ensure a respectful, reciprocal relationship between staff and readers and to promote more civil online participation, many news organizations are establishing guidelines to rein in contentious comments. For example, the Cleveland Plain Dealer recently issued a new commenting policy seeking to end bigoted comments, while at the same time urging its staff members to meaningfully engage with readers. Likewise, the Boston Globe has created a “member agreement” stipulating general rules for reader participation on its site: “You agree not to use language that abuses or discriminates on the basis of race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual preference, age, region, disability, etc. Hate speech of any kind is grounds for immediate and permanent suspension of access to all or part of the Service.” Hopefully, such moves among respected news organizations such as these will be duplicated by media organizations concerned about the low levels of public trust and civil discourse.
In the end, these are the stories we remember. The year 2009 is about over, and out of all the e-mails, phone calls, Web searches, visits and interviews, some powerful stories have emerged.
They range from the quirky and improbable to the humbling and heart-warming. They've taught us sorrow, humility, enthusiasm and understanding.
And they've all left an impression.
This week, Mormon Times writers and editors reflect on the subjects and story lines that made 2009 a memorable year.
We look at families who have lost loved ones and how they cling to hope. We reflect on the power of faith and trust, and the moving influence of artistic expression.
And we revisit personalities like the boxing bishop in Texas, the 105-year-old convert in Arkansas and the positive pitcher-turned missionary who still hasn't looked back.
Read the powerful stories on MormonTimes.com.
They range from the quirky and improbable to the humbling and heart-warming. They've taught us sorrow, humility, enthusiasm and understanding.
And they've all left an impression.
This week, Mormon Times writers and editors reflect on the subjects and story lines that made 2009 a memorable year.
We look at families who have lost loved ones and how they cling to hope. We reflect on the power of faith and trust, and the moving influence of artistic expression.
And we revisit personalities like the boxing bishop in Texas, the 105-year-old convert in Arkansas and the positive pitcher-turned missionary who still hasn't looked back.
Read the powerful stories on MormonTimes.com.
The U.S. Census Bureau has told Utah's elected leaders it won't count Mormon missionaries serving overseas in the nation's next head count.
Census Bureau officials, rejecting Utah's lobbying efforts for the better part of a decade, say there's no way to reliably count the overseas missionaries.
Utah leaders say the omission cost the state an extra congressional seat in 2000, when the state fell just 857 people short of receiving the last available slot in the U.S. House.
The Census Bureau does count military and federal employees serving overseas, and Rob Bishop, R-Utah, says it should include Mormons on proselytizing missions.
"The bottom line should still be fairness and accuracy," Bishop said. "If we are currently counting some people abroad and not others, there is just no logic to that whatsoever."
Read the rest of the story, here.
Seems to me, they should be counted. The Church keeps imaculate records on their missionaries. The Church is also very capable of having a census filled out by each missionary, through mission presidents, etc.
Census Bureau officials, rejecting Utah's lobbying efforts for the better part of a decade, say there's no way to reliably count the overseas missionaries.
Utah leaders say the omission cost the state an extra congressional seat in 2000, when the state fell just 857 people short of receiving the last available slot in the U.S. House.
The Census Bureau does count military and federal employees serving overseas, and Rob Bishop, R-Utah, says it should include Mormons on proselytizing missions.
"The bottom line should still be fairness and accuracy," Bishop said. "If we are currently counting some people abroad and not others, there is just no logic to that whatsoever."
Read the rest of the story, here.
Seems to me, they should be counted. The Church keeps imaculate records on their missionaries. The Church is also very capable of having a census filled out by each missionary, through mission presidents, etc.
Amsterdam 13 August 2009 While speaking at an international conference on families in Amsterdam on Wednesday, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints emphasized the importance of children and families to the world’s future.
“Future happiness and even the future of nations is linked to children. Families with children need to be re-enthroned as the fundamental unit of society. We simply must value children more than we do.”
The World Congress of Families is an international network of national, ethnic, cultural and religious communities that defend, affirm and promote the vital role of the family in society. World Congress V convened over a three-day period.
Read the rest here.
By Orson Scott Card
Thursday, Aug. 06, 2009
Editor's note: Part one of a two-part series on the Pew Forum's "A Portrait of Mormons in the U.S."
Sometimes we Mormons feel a bit defiant and declare we don't much care what the world thinks of us.
But of course we always do. For one thing, the ability of our missionaries to teach people the gospel is strongly affected by what people think they already know about us.
Controversy isn't always bad for our purposes -- when we take a stand and become known for it, there are those who are drawn to us because of it.
But our mission is to take the gospel to all people, including those who disagree with us, and especially including those who are devoted to activities we regard as destructive to their souls. Christ said that it is not the healthy but the sick who need a physician.
So it is always a matter of great concern to all of us what our image is in the eyes of the world. Few of us can affect the overall image, but all of us can affect the impressions that individuals have of the church.
Friendship and kindness to strangers can easily tip the balance from "I've heard such awful things about those Mormons" to "I know a Mormon family and they're nothing like what people say."
That's a matter of image -- what people think they know about us. And let's remember that we also have an image of ourselves, which may or may not conform to reality.
That's why it's so fascinating to read the Pew Forum's "A Portrait of Mormons in the U.S."
It's easy for Saints in the West, particularly in Utah, where we form an overwhelming majority, to forget what a small minority we are in the country as a whole.
Still, we're not an insignificant minority: Our numbers are comparable to Jews, and there are a lot more of us than there are other small minorities like Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Jehovah's Witnesses.
Because Jews tend to vote as a bloc and they are concentrated in a few states, most notably New York, they have political influence far out of proportion to their numbers. They're swing voters -- if they ever abandoned the Democratic presidential candidate, that candidate probably wouldn't carry New York, and without New York, it's hard to see how such a candidate could win.
We Mormons don't have that clout in any major state, because in the Rocky Mountain states where we have majority or large minority status, our nonmember fellow-citizens vote quite similarly to us. And in California, our vote is usually steamrollered into insignificance -- except on issues where we can forge alliances with groups that share our values.
Still, when you go by the raw numbers, there is no demographic reason why we could not have the same kind of cultural influence in America that Jews have. It is interesting that in the Midwest and South, we represent about the same proportion of the general population, while we are about half as numerous in the Northeast.
Assuming that Americans who already belong to the church would be equally likely to move anywhere in the U.S., the discrepancy suggests that the missionary work is more successful in the South and Midwest.
But the Pew report is not just confined to how many we are -- it also examines who we are, what we believe, and how we behave, in comparison with members of other faiths.
Keep in mind that there are going to be inaccuracies. Though the sample size is sufficient for the numbers to be meaningful, the poll can only deal with self-identified Mormons, defined as "persons who see themselves as following in the religious tradition of Joseph Smith."
Who knows how many people whom we maintain on our rolls did not tell the Pew pollsters they were Mormons, because they long since ceased to think of themselves that way?
There are oddities. Why is the church even more disproportionately female than Catholics and Evangelicals (56 percent, compared to 54 percent and 53 percent)? Is it because we convert more women, or lose more men, or both?
It's no surprise that, with our higher-than-average birthrate, we are markedly younger than the surrounding population; but why are converts to the church older than lifers?
Maybe it's because converts who joined the church when their children were young continue to report themselves as converts their whole lives, while their children quite naturally report themselves as lifers.
Only Hindus are more likely than we are to be married, and, along with Hindus, we're the most likely Americans to be married to someone of the same faith.
Only 7 percent of Mormons were born outside the U.S., compared to 12 percent of the overall population, but it's not hard to see why: Mormon converts in other countries are encouraged to stay and build up the church where they are.
Read the rest of the article here.
Thursday, Aug. 06, 2009
Editor's note: Part one of a two-part series on the Pew Forum's "A Portrait of Mormons in the U.S."
Sometimes we Mormons feel a bit defiant and declare we don't much care what the world thinks of us.
But of course we always do. For one thing, the ability of our missionaries to teach people the gospel is strongly affected by what people think they already know about us.
Controversy isn't always bad for our purposes -- when we take a stand and become known for it, there are those who are drawn to us because of it.
But our mission is to take the gospel to all people, including those who disagree with us, and especially including those who are devoted to activities we regard as destructive to their souls. Christ said that it is not the healthy but the sick who need a physician.
So it is always a matter of great concern to all of us what our image is in the eyes of the world. Few of us can affect the overall image, but all of us can affect the impressions that individuals have of the church.
Friendship and kindness to strangers can easily tip the balance from "I've heard such awful things about those Mormons" to "I know a Mormon family and they're nothing like what people say."
That's a matter of image -- what people think they know about us. And let's remember that we also have an image of ourselves, which may or may not conform to reality.
That's why it's so fascinating to read the Pew Forum's "A Portrait of Mormons in the U.S."
It's easy for Saints in the West, particularly in Utah, where we form an overwhelming majority, to forget what a small minority we are in the country as a whole.
Still, we're not an insignificant minority: Our numbers are comparable to Jews, and there are a lot more of us than there are other small minorities like Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Jehovah's Witnesses.
Because Jews tend to vote as a bloc and they are concentrated in a few states, most notably New York, they have political influence far out of proportion to their numbers. They're swing voters -- if they ever abandoned the Democratic presidential candidate, that candidate probably wouldn't carry New York, and without New York, it's hard to see how such a candidate could win.
We Mormons don't have that clout in any major state, because in the Rocky Mountain states where we have majority or large minority status, our nonmember fellow-citizens vote quite similarly to us. And in California, our vote is usually steamrollered into insignificance -- except on issues where we can forge alliances with groups that share our values.
Still, when you go by the raw numbers, there is no demographic reason why we could not have the same kind of cultural influence in America that Jews have. It is interesting that in the Midwest and South, we represent about the same proportion of the general population, while we are about half as numerous in the Northeast.
Assuming that Americans who already belong to the church would be equally likely to move anywhere in the U.S., the discrepancy suggests that the missionary work is more successful in the South and Midwest.
But the Pew report is not just confined to how many we are -- it also examines who we are, what we believe, and how we behave, in comparison with members of other faiths.
Keep in mind that there are going to be inaccuracies. Though the sample size is sufficient for the numbers to be meaningful, the poll can only deal with self-identified Mormons, defined as "persons who see themselves as following in the religious tradition of Joseph Smith."
Who knows how many people whom we maintain on our rolls did not tell the Pew pollsters they were Mormons, because they long since ceased to think of themselves that way?
There are oddities. Why is the church even more disproportionately female than Catholics and Evangelicals (56 percent, compared to 54 percent and 53 percent)? Is it because we convert more women, or lose more men, or both?
It's no surprise that, with our higher-than-average birthrate, we are markedly younger than the surrounding population; but why are converts to the church older than lifers?
Maybe it's because converts who joined the church when their children were young continue to report themselves as converts their whole lives, while their children quite naturally report themselves as lifers.
Only Hindus are more likely than we are to be married, and, along with Hindus, we're the most likely Americans to be married to someone of the same faith.
Only 7 percent of Mormons were born outside the U.S., compared to 12 percent of the overall population, but it's not hard to see why: Mormon converts in other countries are encouraged to stay and build up the church where they are.
Read the rest of the article here.
Bishop Allen Hicken knows people have a variety of ideas about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, more commonly known as the Mormon church. He maintains that education is the best way to improve awareness and understanding.
"We are Christians. I think sometimes there's a misconception about that. We believe in and worship Jesus Christ and God the Father,'' says Hicken. "We feel affinity with Christians about that.''
The parking area of the Chelsea Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) is undergoing renovations, and the bishop expects that when they are through, members of the Chelsea community will come by to visit, ask questions about the faith.
Read the full story via MormonTimes.com.
"We are Christians. I think sometimes there's a misconception about that. We believe in and worship Jesus Christ and God the Father,'' says Hicken. "We feel affinity with Christians about that.''
The parking area of the Chelsea Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) is undergoing renovations, and the bishop expects that when they are through, members of the Chelsea community will come by to visit, ask questions about the faith.
Read the full story via MormonTimes.com.
The meeting did not go as expected.
Mormon humanitarian missionaries Brent and Charlene Lee thought that the Ukrainian official would be excited about their plans for another international conference on foster care and orphans. Not only would this conference help several countries, but it would also be great public relations for the LDS Church.
But the official wasn't interested. She had a new mandate from the president of Ukraine.
Read the full story on MormonTimes.com.
Via
Mormon humanitarian missionaries Brent and Charlene Lee thought that the Ukrainian official would be excited about their plans for another international conference on foster care and orphans. Not only would this conference help several countries, but it would also be great public relations for the LDS Church.
But the official wasn't interested. She had a new mandate from the president of Ukraine.
Read the full story on MormonTimes.com.
Via
Approximately 20,000 Church members wearing yellow "Mormon Helping Hands" vests will participate in service projects throughout Southern California on April 25, according to Kevin Hamilton of the Southern California Public Affairs Council.
"We have approximately 91 stakes from Bakersfield to San Diego and the Mexican border," Brother Hamilton said. "I can't (pinpoint) a precise number, but I believe 86 or 87 of those stakes have a service project planned (for April 25).
Mormon Helping Hands volunteers helped clean up after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
"The theme is 'Community Service, making our communities a better place.' (The volunteers) will be working under the direction or under the brand of Mormon Helping Hands. They'll be wearing the yellow vests. We estimate there will be somewhere around 20,000 participants area-wide."
Some of the planned projects include repairing schools, renovating community parks, cleaning up beaches, volunteering at a cancer fund raiser, generally beautifying the community and picking up trash at Joshua Tree National Park.
"We have approximately 91 stakes from Bakersfield to San Diego and the Mexican border," Brother Hamilton said. "I can't (pinpoint) a precise number, but I believe 86 or 87 of those stakes have a service project planned (for April 25).
Mormon Helping Hands volunteers helped clean up after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
"The theme is 'Community Service, making our communities a better place.' (The volunteers) will be working under the direction or under the brand of Mormon Helping Hands. They'll be wearing the yellow vests. We estimate there will be somewhere around 20,000 participants area-wide."
Some of the planned projects include repairing schools, renovating community parks, cleaning up beaches, volunteering at a cancer fund raiser, generally beautifying the community and picking up trash at Joshua Tree National Park.
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