Reporting on Religion
September 13, 2009, 10:16 am
Posted by Joseph A. Komonchak
Rocco Palmo has an important posting on the decline in number of the reporters assigned to write on religion by the major newspapers. A native of Rockland County, NY, I am sorry to see that “The Journal News” is among the papers who decide that they can do without reports on religion. Gary Stern has been an excellent reporter.
It is unfortunate that the religious beat is being targeted nationally for cuts at such a rate. And the reassignment of Gary Stern to general reporting duties at the Journal News is regrettable. Still, he will try to continue with his blog and do the occasional religion piece when it fits into his schedule, so perhaps one can hope that he will eventually be able to resume work in his special field. He has been so reliable and thoughtful, and so good at ferreting out information here in New York that only a specialist would be likely to get (or recognize as important). The Journal News is lucky to have him in any capacity. Definitely their most valuable player.
I urge readers to check out Gary Stern’s blog at
http://religion.lohudblogs.com/
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Some years ago, Gannett built a printing plant in Westchester County (N.Y.) for regional distribution of USA Today. It then bought out local news papers in the lower Hudson Valley (as the Yonkers Herald-Statesman) and now prints them on the same presses. The local papers are good. On the internet, all are combined into
http://www.lohud.com
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Because Newsday is my local paper, I have Lohud on my bookmarks toolbar.