Disappearing Easter
WHAT HAPPENED to Easter?
That's what some Globe readers asked last week when they couldn't find any mention of the Christian holy day in a prominent place in Sunday's newspaper.
''The Boston Globe has formally declared the separation of church and press," wrote Gordon McIntyre of Bridgewater. ''Sunday's edition completely ignored Christianity's most holy day. . . . The sole mention of Easter, found by me, was in the ''Today In History" feature where it led with 'Today is Easter Sunday, April 16, 2006.' "
The Globe offered extensive coverage of Holy Week through stories and photos, and it offered ample coverage of both Pope Benedict and Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley marking their first Easter in their new roles. But the unusual absence of Easter in a meaningful way from Sunday's paper happened for a couple of reasons.
''On Saturday afternoon, we discussed whether to photograph a local Easter vigil happening on Saturday night, but that photo would have come in hours after our first edition deadline, making it hard to build a first edition front page," Ellen Clegg, the Globe's deputy managing editor/Sunday, explained in an e-mail. ''We also felt that we already had a strong display photo of Boston Marathon tourists posing at the Johnny Kelly statue in Newton in hand for Page A1 for first edition."
I'm more concerned about the broader suggestion of McIntyre's comments -- that journalists stay away from religion -- and something I hear persistently from readers.
More than 90 percent of Americans say they believe in God, according to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center. Many readers may think journalists are agnostic. The media largely ignored the Christian evangelical movement in this country during the 1970s and '80s, but some experts say religion reporting today has vastly improved.
''There's a sense today that religion reporting has become less tied to institutions and about other areas, like faith and spirituality," said Mark Silk, a former journalist who now runs the Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion and Public Life at Trinity College in Hartford. ''Even in the retrenchments we see at some newsrooms, religion has fared well because organizations see its value and importance."
It's easy to see why journalism and religion would be considered at odds with each other. Both of them claim to offer the truth -- one through facts, the other through faith. And both have seen their credibility severely and publicly tested, through high-profile scandals.
Many journalists, however secular they may seem in their jobs, do consider themselves religious. A 1997 study by the American Society of Newspaper Editors found that nearly 80 percent of journalists claimed to have some religious beliefs or affiliation.
Globe readers are fortunate that the newspaper has made a substantial commitment to cover religion and faith.
Michael Paulson, who has covered this beat for the Globe since 2000, has offered most of the Globe's religion coverage through the Metro desk. Paulson has received numerous accolades from religious organizations for his work. Charles Radin, who has covered Asia and the Middle East and produced an insightful series last year on moderate Islam, has returned to Boston as a second religion reporter.
In an interview last week, Paulson noted two important events in recent years that have emphasized the importance of religion reporting: the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11; and the uncovering of the sexual abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church, for which the Globe's Spotlight Team earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2003.
The Globe also runs a ''Spiritual Life" column every Saturday, and last year offered a series of reports on Christian evangelicals in the United States. Other reporters also touch on religious issues in stories from immigration to the White House.
''I don't think we have seen so many stories about religion appearing in different sections of the newspaper as we have today," said Carolyn Ryan, assistant managing editor/Metro.
Some experts agree that coverage of traditional denominations is better today, but warn that other, less formal faith groups are growing and deserve more attention.
''There's a danger of too much curiosity seeking of religion and a delay in covering other faiths we may be less familiar with," said Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College.
Silk added: ''Religion coverage is generally biased against new religious movements. Most stories seem to focus on the negative details of these groups rather than a more complete picture of what they believe and why."
The ombudsman represents the readers. His opinions and conclusions are his own. Phone 617-929-3020 or, to leave a message, 929-3022. His e-mail address is ombud@globe.com.
