Covering the coverage

The Catholic media often analyze how the secular media cover the church--specifically the sex abuse story. Now a secular publication--the Atlantic--is analyzing how Catholic media are covering it.

NCR gets high marks, as do Commonweal and America. Not surprisingly, the National Catholic Register, a conservative publication, is more concerned about anti-Catholic spin from the secular media than with the crimes committed by priests.

I take issue with the author's opinion that NCR's March 26 editorial represents a "turning point in the publication's coverage of the scandal." The editorial's call for accountability is just the latest in years--no, decades--of strongly worded observations and appeals from this newspaper's editors, columnists and reporters.

Still, it's interesting that the Atlantic thought it worth analyzing Catholic coverage. And even more interesting that three of the four publications chosen are more progressive ones. I wonder what they would say about diocesan newspapers' coverage?