ABSTRACT
The idea of the news media’s reporting religious scandal carries more than a hint of irony. Scandal sells the news, attracting viewers and follow-up stories, but runs counter to a religious response to it. The genre of the news media’s religious scandal requires a religious figure acting against the dictates of religion or violating the moral expectations that the religious figure personally espouses. In an attempt to understand the temporary rather than permanent nature of the loss of confidence in religion, R. Abelman focuses on the audiences. The impact of news coverage and theoretical explanations for shifting public opinion in matters touching religion show up in a number of other published studies about the various religious scandals. In comparing how journalists reported religious scandal, communication researchers identified common elements in the ways they approached even complex stories. Catholic leaders merited even more coverage under the rubric of scandal for how they managed their own discourse and lack of accountability.
