August 11 1997

ARTICLE TOOLS

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God's Word for today
Not since the forum on women in ministry in 1996 has a ct article generated so much mail. The June 16 News story "Hands Off My NIV!" produced an outcry from readers on both sides of this issue, with the mail almost evenly divided between those who regret the decision by Zondervan and the International Bible Society not to publish a new "gender-accurate" edition of the New International Version Bible, and those who are relieved and vehemently insist that updated versions must never use "inclusive" nouns and pronouns in referring to the human race. Feelings run deep, as shown by the sampling of letters in this issue.

World's "directed reporting"
* In the June 16 news report on Zondervan's ethics complaint againstWorld magazine ("Hands Off My NIV!"), it wasreported that I had previously registered a complaint with the EvangelicalPress Association. You stated, correctly, that I remain unsatisfied and donot consider the matter resolved.

The major problem with World is a practice Olasky calls "directedreporting." According to the editor of World, it is hisresponsibility to send his reporters out with a clear "direction" on theslant that will be given to the story. The slants were clear in both thearticle that reported on the conference I was involved in and theNIV issue.

Ostensibly, the slant is predetermined to be the authentic Christian world-view.In reality, however, the slant is more likely to be southern, conservativePresbyterian evangelicalism. This means, then, that if individuals,organizations, conferences, publications, and so forth do not supportlaissez-faire economics, libertarian politics, and right-wing evangelicalconservatism, World's reporters are "directed" to write negative accounts.

Sadly, World's ...