Blog post reports on story

The New York Times parenting blog has this report on on new research that shows that more religious areas of the country have higher teen pregnancy rates.

Blogger Lisa Belkin seeks reader comments, as always, and many had issue with Belkin's assertion that the relationship is not what one would expect.

Discrimination study gives ideas for class discussion

A new Pew study you can shows that Americans believe Muslims and homosexuals are the most discriminated against groups in the U.S., media are reporting today.

A look at the original study could lead to interesting class discussions on how the media covered this study and in particular the religious issues it brings up and how religious groups treat homosexuals and how you cover that.

MidWinter Wrap Up

Congratulations to all who presented at the MidWinter Conference last week in Pittsburgh. RMIG sponsored one panel and co-sponsored another for our first foray into the conference.

Presented were:

Reporting through God: Credibility of news stories from Christian and secular sources and audience religiosity
Robin Blom, Wyl McCully, and Nora Rifon, Michigan State University

Missed Coverage: Media, the Mitt Romney Campaign and Religion
Patrick C. McFadden, West Virginia University

News in a Nazi Death Camp
Julie A. Goldsmith and Lucinda Davenport, Michigan State University

Cokesbury’s Challenge: Adapting to the New Landscape of the Religious Publishing Industry
Drexel Perry, Middle Tennessee State University

Selling Passion: Marketing Movies to Religious Audiences
James Y. Trammell, Saint John Fisher

The Launch of Fox Faith (...and the Targeting of Other Faith-Based Audience Markets)
Andressa Lyra, Middle Tennessee State University

Thanks to Point Park University in Pittsburgh for hosting. I hope we will see these papers submitted for the big AEJMC meeting in Chicago later this year.

Pew Religion Study story leads to broad reaction

By now, most of you have seen reports on the new Pew study about the fluidity of American religion.

The reports gained broad coverage in newspapers and news networks, but this service from the New York Times helps track blog coverage. From pro-science/anti-religion blogs to conservative Christian ones, it is interesting to see the variety of citizen-journalist takes on the story.