Can we promote someone with a swath of emails to a handful of prominent journalists? Someone a serious journalist could go to for some solid information.
I am listed on the Exmormon Foundation website as a "media contact" and I get a lot of inquiries from journalists asking about Mormonism.
Within the past month I have had inquiries from a Japanese national newspaper, two French television producers, newspaper journalists in D.C., New York, Arizona, Canada, Argentina, and journalists for several online news services.
Sometimes I have to take Millet's advice ( :-) and tell them the questions they SHOULD be asking, because often they don't know enough about Mormonism to know the right questions. They generally are slack-jawed and head-shaking when we finish.
That's great. It sounds like at least some people are getting to the right place. Are you joking about the Hindu and cow urine or seriously suggesting something along those lines? I'd like to think something like that has some potential. Maybe it just sounds fun.
Just for the record, RPackham, I think in some otherworldly temple or otherwise endowment I was sealed to you as your daughter. Thanks for being the wise elder statesman of the post mormon movement (for lack of a better term). You rock! I applaud your courage and integrity.
There has never been a greater officiator of the holy Mormon temple rituals than Richard Packham. If he had been able to compartmentalize like Daniel Peterson or some other FARMsees then I'm guessing that he'd have become a temple sealer. But alas I got to think that Richard is good at helping reporters ask the really effective questions. I've found that journalists tend to like talking to exmo's because they don't stonewall them like the official PR people do.
So far, 1 in 3 has taken me up on my offer to be or refer a source or expert on any subject needed to assist them in writing articles, blog posts, and news stories.
I am looking for people to refer them to, as my satire blog is obviously not the answer for every journalistic inquiry.
Why there is no current initiative contacting interested journalists proactively and consistently writing and pitching appropriate story ideas is beyond me, but I am willing to get the ball rolling on this for the good of the community.