{"id":102658,"date":"2013-03-23T09:58:25","date_gmt":"2013-03-23T13:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/?p=102658"},"modified":"2013-03-23T19:15:34","modified_gmt":"2013-03-23T23:15:34","slug":"francis-coverage-unfair-to-atheists-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/03\/francis-coverage-unfair-to-atheists-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Francis coverage unfair to atheists?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/embed><\/object>And now for something completely different in the coverage of the election of Pope Francis \u2014 complaints from Viennese newspaper Der Standard<\/em> that some coverage was unfair to atheists.<\/p>\n

In an editorial discussing the press coverage of the election of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio as the 226th Bishop of Rome the left liberal daily took the state TV broadcaster ORF to task for its one-sided and uncritical reporting.<\/p>\n

Im ORF wurden in den verschiedensten Nachrichten-Formaten die Bilder gezeigt, wie sich der Papst bei Argentiniens Staatspr\u00e4sidentin Cristina Kirchner f\u00fcr ein Pr\u00e4sent mit einem Wangenk\u00fcsschen bedankt, was angesichts des gespannten Verh\u00e4ltnisses zwischen den beiden zwar eine Nachricht wert ist. Die Nachrichtenzeit wurde aber lieber f\u00fcr das tapsige Auspacken von Kirchners Mitbringsel verwendet, anstatt auf die Hintergr\u00fcnde der Anspannungen zwischen den beiden hinzuweisen, die unter anderem in der Gegnerschaft Bergoglios f\u00fcr Rechte von Lesben und Schwulen liegen. Mag sein, dass ein Verh\u00fctungsverbot, die D\u00e4monisierung von gleichgeschlechtlicher Liebe oder die Kontrolle \u00fcber den K\u00f6rper von Frauen f\u00fcr P\u00e4pste, Kardin\u00e4le, Bisch\u00f6fe und auch f\u00fcr viele gl\u00e4ubige KatholikInnen normal sind. F\u00fcr sehr viele B\u00fcrgerInnen ist es das aber nicht. Das Ereignis Papst-Wahl verleitete viele Medien dazu, zu vergessen, dass nicht nur religi\u00f6se Gef\u00fchle verletzt werden k\u00f6nnen, sondern auch atheistische.<\/p>\n

[Austrian state TV broadcaster] ORF showed the pope thanking the Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner for a gift with a kiss on the cheek, which considering the tense relations between the two was certainly newsworthy. But instead of going into the background of the tensions between the two, which arise among other things from Bergoglio\u2019s opposition to rights for gays and lesbians, the report followed the clumsy unwrapping of Kirchner\u2019s present. It may be that a ban on contraception, the demonization of homosexual love and exercising control over women\u2019s bodies are normal things for cardinals, bishops and many faithful Catholics. But for many citizens they aren\u2019t. The papal election\u2019s status as a major event has led many media to forget that not just religious feelings can be hurt, but atheistic ones too.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I\u2019ve taken to task on the pages of GetReligion<\/em><\/a> some American newspapers and broadcasters for their hypercritical reporting on Pope Francis. The argument put forward by Der Standard<\/em>, however, can be distinguished from my criticisms of CNN, et al<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Raising the issue of Pope Francis\u2019 conduct during the \u201cdirty war\u201d, when he served a superior of the Argentine Society of Jesus province, is a proper journalistic endeavor. I contrasted the French reporting on this issue which laid out the facts and noted the denials and strength of evidence to CNN\u2019s coverage which framed the issue against Francis. CNN took as gospel the accusations but was skeptical of the defense.<\/p>\n

\n

That is a different argument from automatically rejecting out of hand any harsh words about the new Pope. Der Standard<\/em> has a point. The exchange between both Francis and Pres. Kirchner, hitherto fierce political rivals in Argentina\u2019s culture wars, should have been put in context. I am not persuaded by the editorial\u2019s argument that this was a disservice to atheists. But\u00a0I agree this fell short as journalism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And now for something completely different in the coverage of the election of Pope Francis \u2014 complaints from Viennese newspaper Der Standard that some coverage was unfair to atheists. 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