This is a much more serious sin than the folly I noted earlier today from ABCNews.com coverage of a Bill Clinton visit to a "Pentacostal" church.
On May 1, Christianity Today's Sarah Pulliam took to her magazine's Liveblog to address ABCNews.com's numerous errors in reporting on a faculty matter at evangelical Wheaton College:
ABC's report of Wheaton College professor Kent Gramm's resignation was an example of sloppy journalism and weak analysis.
The original headline was simply false: "Professor Fired for Getting a Divorce." Gramm was not fired. He resigned because he declined to talk with the college about his divorce. (The image to the right is a screen shot of an earlier version)
Later today, ABC changed the headline to "Professor Loses Job Over Divorce." The headline is still not quite accurate. To lose your job generally indicates that someone took it away from you. However, Gramm voluntarily resigned. And according to the Chicago Tribune, the college offered him another year of employment while he searched for another job.
Story Continues Below Ad ↓Also, student Emma Vanhoozer's name was misspelled. Most journalists are extremely careful about getting basic facts like these correct. But reporter Russell Goldman bypassed whatever fact-checking system ABC has set up, if they have one.
Not only are there factual errors, but Goldman imposes his own strange analysis on the situation.
"If the school is free to impose its beliefs on divorced family members where does the law draw the line? Could the school just as easily impose arranged marriages?" Goldman writes.
Yes, that's the big looming threat here: forcibly arranged marriages. Someone has been reading too much coverage of the raid on the polygamist sect's ranch in Texas.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
















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what????
May 5, 2008 - 15:50 ET by candanceHow on earth did he make a leap from questioning divorce to arranging marriages?
Oh, wait, I keep forgetting...since Christianity is such a popular and controlling force in America, it's fair game for criticism, and no need to fact check because those dumb evangelicals don't matter.
*rolls eyes*
No suprise here. When was
May 5, 2008 - 15:55 ET by bassndudeNo suprise here. When was the last time a reporter was familiar with the subject they were writing about? Their job is to impart their personal feelings into a story, and hope nobody is smart enough to see it.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
and never ever
May 5, 2008 - 16:04 ET by Cape Conservativelet the facts get in the way of getting "the message" out!
Question: Why did he have
May 5, 2008 - 16:05 ET by balboaQuestion: Why did he have to talk to the college about his divorce? And what were his options if he didn't resign? I'd imagine it was getting fired.
And I'd imagine that, if
May 5, 2008 - 16:15 ET by motherbeltAnd I'd imagine that, if that were the case, he was aware of the policy when he took the job. He should have fought it then.
Lots of questions here, mb.
May 5, 2008 - 16:20 ET by balboaLots of questions here, mb. IF there's a stipulation in his contract that says conditions surrounding a divorce are to be discussed, then the teacher screwed up. But if he said, "Nope, not gonna talk about it." and the school said "Talk about it or get fired, or you can resign," that's another thing.
Lots of questions.
If you follow the link to
May 5, 2008 - 16:57 ET by motherbeltIf you follow the link to Christianity Today's original story you find this:
Wheaton’s faculty handbook states that the college will consider
employee retention “when there is reasonable evidence that the
circumstances that led to the final dissolution of the marriage related
to desertion or adultery on the part of the other partner."
Is the question...
May 6, 2008 - 00:39 ET by ontheright...what led to the story, or the reporting of the story itself. I didn't realize NB had become such a thinktank.
The story was from May 1. I
May 6, 2008 - 15:04 ET by Ken ShepherdThe story was from May 1. I hadn't noticed it til May 5, but thought I'd note it since it was a semi-major story on the news nets last week and because Pulliam had something to offer that I thought our audience was not aware of.
divorce
May 5, 2008 - 16:24 ET by candanceThe college's policy is to accept divorce only in acceptable perimeters of adultery or abuse. Pretty standard stuff for any Christian school or private company. Even so, just because he got a divorce does not automatically mean he'd get fired.
Here's one we might see:
May 5, 2008 - 17:14 ET by mattmABC Fires Reporter for Insisting on Accuracy
Isn't that what happened to
May 6, 2008 - 12:02 ET by Tim the EnchanterIsn't that what happened to Brit Hume?