Emily - As you and I once discussed - and I say this for others listening in: The Seattle Times hasn't seriously covered religion in many years. The reporter who did the interview, Nina Shapiro, is the only one I known of who's made any effort to cover the topic but she covers many other topics as well. Sounds like her Q&A was too little, too late and that the Times should have been on this a year ago. I've covered religion for publications ranging from the Houston Chronicle to Newsweek; when I came to town 10 years ago and asked the Times if they'd like to take me on at least part-time so the religious community could get some focused coverage, they said no. Soon after that, they hired a real-estate reporter.
Emily has done an amazing job covering the local Jewish community. I wish there was the same out there covering local Catholics, Muslims, evangelical Protestants - there's even a lively Satanist community in town (that I profiled while at Newsweek.) Now Spokane has a great religion site called Spokane FAVs - the founder had some helpful grants to get her through those first few years - I tried starting something similar here in Seattle but couldn't find investors.
If you are not happy with the story, please consider asking the Times to bring a religion specialist onto their PAID staff. Chances of that are pretty nil but miracles do happen.
This is such a good point. We are losing beat reporters in general, and most of the religious content here is put through some kind of filter (DEI, social justice, etc.). I appreciate your comments.
Emily - As you and I once discussed - and I say this for others listening in: The Seattle Times hasn't seriously covered religion in many years. The reporter who did the interview, Nina Shapiro, is the only one I known of who's made any effort to cover the topic but she covers many other topics as well. Sounds like her Q&A was too little, too late and that the Times should have been on this a year ago. I've covered religion for publications ranging from the Houston Chronicle to Newsweek; when I came to town 10 years ago and asked the Times if they'd like to take me on at least part-time so the religious community could get some focused coverage, they said no. Soon after that, they hired a real-estate reporter.
Emily has done an amazing job covering the local Jewish community. I wish there was the same out there covering local Catholics, Muslims, evangelical Protestants - there's even a lively Satanist community in town (that I profiled while at Newsweek.) Now Spokane has a great religion site called Spokane FAVs - the founder had some helpful grants to get her through those first few years - I tried starting something similar here in Seattle but couldn't find investors.
If you are not happy with the story, please consider asking the Times to bring a religion specialist onto their PAID staff. Chances of that are pretty nil but miracles do happen.
This is such a good point. We are losing beat reporters in general, and most of the religious content here is put through some kind of filter (DEI, social justice, etc.). I appreciate your comments.