Bobby Ross Jr. Speaks on Media Coverage of Faith at Brigham Young University Conference in Provo, Utah

Utah has fewer than 1,100 adherents of Churches of Christ, a minority that is far outnumbered by the roughly 2 million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bobby Ross Jr., the Christian Chronicle’s editor-in-chief, wrote after a recent visit to Brigham Young University, the flagship university of that church, where he and his wife, Tamie, were outnumbered.

During the visit, Ross said, they met people with different beliefs and found them kind. Joel Campbell, a BYU journalism professor, greeted them by noting the prominence of the Campbell name in Churches of Christ, adding that he had no known relation to Alexander Campbell, whose role in the Restoration Movement he referenced. Joel and Jolene Campbell hosted the Rosses for a night, showing them sights including Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. In Park City, the two couples browsed shops and discussed politics and religion over pizza.

Ross said the conversations turned up shared convictions. Jolene Campbell said it was good to talk “without fear that there’s an agenda.”

The conversation continued at a religious freedom conference hosted by BYU’s International Center for Law and Religion Studies, where Ross spoke. He joined a panel of journalists and attorneys, moderated by Hannah Clayson Smith, a senior fellow at the center, on media coverage of faith. Part of the discussion addressed how religious leaders should respond when reporters make inquiries, a question Ross noted arises among many conservative believers who are skeptical of mainstream news organizations, some of whom he said have been justifiably so.

Terry Mattingly, an Orthodox Christian and nationally syndicated religion columnist who lives in East Tennessee, said that “silence is not going to make the stories go away.” He recommended “some sort of careful interaction and face-to-face interviews,” along with printed materials that could help a journalist understand a subject. He also urged sources to record interviews, though he acknowledged some reporters might view that as a “hostile act.” He said that when dealing with difficult subjects, it helps to know exactly what was said (Proverbs 18:17, honest and careful exchange as a mark of truth and fairness).

Emma Green, a Washington, D.C.-based staff writer who covers politics, policy and religion for The Atlantic, said Mattingly’s advice seemed wise for a single interview. For a group’s reputation over time, she said, a source might want to take the offensive.

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