Left Behind: Press Conference Video
Washington, D.C. -- Media Matters for America, along with Faith in Public Life and progressive religious leaders from throughout the country, held a press conference on May 29, 2007 to discuss "Left Behind: The Skewed Representation of Religion in the Major News Media," a new report documenting the overrepresentation of conservative religious figures in the major news media.
Press Conference Highlights
Full Statements
Paul Waldman has authored and co-authored a number of books on media and politics, worked in electoral campaigns and political consulting, and edited an online magazine. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America. His latest book is Being Right Is Not Enough: What Progressives Must Learn From Conservative Success.
Katie Barge is Director of Communications Strategy at Faith in Public Life. Barge most recently served as Research Director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), following her tenure as the first Research Director of Media Matters for America.
Rev. Brian McLaren is a best-selling author, a leader of the "emerging church" -- a Christian evangelical movement that seeks new ways to worship and understand the gospel in a postmodern era -- and Board Chairman for Sojourners/Call to Renewal.
Rev. Dr. Jim Forbes is the former Senior Pastor of The Riverside Church in New York City and host of The Time Is Now on Air America.
Rabbi David Saperstein is the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, which advocates on social justice issues on behalf of the national Reform Jewish Movement to Congress and the administration.
Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar is General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, composed of 35 communions that count 45 million Americans among their members, and author of Middle Church: Reclaiming the Moral Values of the Faithful Majority from the Religious Right.
Alexia Kelley is Executive Director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the fullness of the Catholic social tradition in the public square.
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"I urge the news media to reflect on Media Matters' findings and take significant steps to include progressive religious voices in the national debate."
Supporting Documents
- Read the Report
- Download the PDF (PDF, 198K)
- Press Conference Video, 05/29/07
- Press Release: Leaders Call for Balanced Religious Debate, 05/29/07
- Press Release: Religious Progressives Left Behind, 05/29/07
Media Appearances
06/09/07: Paul Waldman on The Time is Now
06/06/07: Paul Waldman on The Thom Hartmann Radio Program
06/06/07: Paul Waldman on The Santita Jackson Show
06/01/07: Paul Waldman on NPR's On the Media
05/31/07: Paul Waldman on The Jeff Farias Show
05/31/07: Eric Boehlert on The Pat Lynch Show
05/31/07: Eric Boehlert on The Bill Press Show
05/30/07: Eric Boehlert on Minnesota Air America's Minnesota Matters
05/29/07: Paul Waldman on Head-on with Bob Kincaid
05/29/07: Eric Boehlert on The Lionel Show
05/29/07: Paul Waldman on The Jay Marvin Show
News Coverage
- 06/03/07: The Revealer: God Squads Face Off!
- 06/02/07: The Washington Post: In Brief: Religious 'Progressives': Seeking Media Coverage
- 06/01/07: God is for Suckers!: Religious Leanings
- 06/01/07: GetReligion.org: Media matters, religion doesn't
- 06/01/07: Dallas Baptist Standard: Media bias? Not the way some might think
- 05/31/07: Inter Press Service News Agency: Religious Right Gets More Than Its 15 Minutes
- 05/31/07: ReligionandSpirituality.com: Media 'exagerrate' right-wing influence
- 05/31/07: East Valley Tribune's Beyond Belief (AZ): Religious sides want big media's ear
- 05/31/07: Citizenlink.org: Religious Left Calls for More Air Time
- 05/31/07: Associated Baptist Press: Study says American news media overplays religious conservatives
- 05/30/07:FAIR: Media Matters: Left Behind
- 05/30/07:StreetProphets.com: "The Reality of Religious Faith in America"
- 05/30/07:Blog for America: Wednesday News Roundup
- 05/30/07: EthicsDaily.com: Study Says Media Gives Too Much Ink to Religious Right
- 05/30/07: Reason: Because the Bible Says So...
- 05/30/07: Jewschool: Michegaas
- 05/30/07: friendlyathiest.com: Who Represents the Religious?
- 05/30/07: CBN News: Conservative Christians and the Media
- 05/30/07: Alternet.org: The Religious Left is Left Out by the Commercial Media
- 05/30/07: CNS News: 'Progressive' Christians Say Media Coverage Skewed to Religious Right
- 05/30/07: The Christian Post: Report: Media Skewing Religion with Dominant Conservative Voices
- 05/30/07: One News Now: 'Progressive' Christians say media coverage skewed to Religious Right
- 05/30/07: Mobile Register's For The Love Blog (AL): Analyze this
- 05/29/07: Chicago Tribune's The Swamp: News media leave behind progressive Christians
- 05/29/07: Worldwide Faith News: Faith in Public Life holds a news conference on "Left Behind: The Skewed Representation of Religion in the Major News Media."
- 05/29/07: Arkansas Times' Arkansas Blog: Religion in media -- UPDATE
- 05/29/07: Commonweal Magazine: Religious Conservatives and Religious Progressives in the Media
- 05/29/07: Street Prophets: Left Behind
- 05/29/07: Atrios: Left Behind
- 05/29/07: Think Progress: Conservative religious leaders dominate media coverage.
- 05/29/07: Alternet.org: Why have we heard so little of the voices of reason among American Christians? It turns out they've been talking, but couldn't make themselves heard
- 05/29/07: Daily Kos: Religion: Progressives Left Behind?
- 05/29/07: Reform Judaism Religious Action Center Blog: Left Behind: The Skewed Representation of Religion in Major News Media
- 05/29/07: Crooks and Liars: Your liberal media on Religion
- 05/29/07: Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Saperstein: Religion coverage unbalanced
- 05/29/07: Fidelis: Fidelis Dismisses Religious Left Media 'Report'
