In Heat & Light (pg. 138), we learn about the concept of the "element": "Each place you shoot or record for your story is called an element. Let's say you're shooting a story about a medical breakthrough. Your elements might include a hospital where the new breakthrough is being used successfully, the laboratory where it was discovered, and interviews with doctors and patients. You always try to have enough elements to do a wide-ranging and educational story." The chapter goes on to explain that longer stories require more "elements."
Question 1: Based on what you have learned from our class discussions and from your earlier interviews, what "elements" will to use to place and contextualize your story? To whom will you need to speak and where will you need to go to do this? This has a lot to do with what we call follow-up and verification interviews.
Chapter 5 really focuses on broadcast writing, but we can learn a great deal from it. You will recall (at least those of you that had my Feature Writing class) that some of my favorite journalists began their careers in the old days of radio news. These guys learned to write for the ear. Their journalism was like good prose--simple, clean, easy to follow, and made use of imagery. You may recall that I suggested that one of the tests for great journalism is to read it aloud to "hear" how it sounds.
Question 2: Taking the quotes and anecdotes discussed in the previous blogs (from your initial interviews), I would like you to write two to three paragraphs (in story form) that convey what was learned from those interviews. How would they look and sound in the stories that we are creating for the project? Be sure and discuss your writing in the context of the "element" and what you want the reader to take away.
Due: Sept. 30 @ 5 p.m.
Question 1:
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest element we are still missing are narratives from people. We have a lot of amazing quotes from really brilliant people but we don't have stories to tell from people. In order to further shape our story, I think it could be useful to talk to some of the people who fit the trend of spiritual millennials.It could be interesting to have two different narratives, a religious millennial and a spiritual millennial, and compare and contrast them throughout the series.
Question 2:
I think that my interview with Wes McAdams could contrast really well with information from Jenna's interview with Bethke. The main story theme could be how churches are changing and it could be divided into three different elements: if churches are seen as necessary by millennials, if millennials are wanting churches to change, and if millennials are looking for churches to stay the same.
Story:
While many pastors are changing the ways they reach out to the millennial generation, Wes McAdams, a minister for the Church of Christ, said he believes there is value in keeping worship services the same.
"One of the big things for me is not changing the way that we worship God in order to attract the world but that we teach the world who God is," McAdams said. "We bring our hearts, we bring our minds, to Him rather than trying to conform Him to the world."
McAdams, being a millennial himself, said he finds that in a world where there are not many certainties it is beneficial for millennials to have something solid, like religion.
1. I think we are bringing different voices into our story, and we are the ones creating these elements. For example, we are looking at highly religious voices in the community, so maybe we should spend more time on those who have left religion. Can we reach out to anti-religion voices without getting overcrowded with their voices? I feel like we need more "ground level" human sources. We are going for high-profile people right now, which is necessary, but now we need those anecdotes and human pieces.
ReplyDeleteHe's a young adult male, with an urban-street style and a history of making creative videos, usually involving a slam poem or persuasive message. He's a religious activist. He's thoughtful. He says he loves Jesus.
But he hates religion.
Jefferson Bethke was born in Tacoma, Washington, and made his online debut in the YouTube video, "Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus," which has a cool 30 million views. Bethke's book, "It's Not What You Think," explores the meaning behind westernized Christianity and the difference between spirituality and religion.
"It's no doubt there is a massive cultural shift happening in the way we think, see truth, and hold certain cultural values," he said. Bethke said people in his generation were hit by the "real world" and realized they couldn't get anything out of Christianity.
He said many people left Christianity because it "didn't bring life, breed joy, or ground them in any real place." Bethke says this type of religion wasn't even Christianity at all, but a "weird form of postmodern thought."
Question 1: I really like what Colleen Campbell said about how demanding religions are more attractive to millennials, because they allow them to contribute. The scene that comes to mind for me is a YSA ward, where everything but the bishopric is run by the young adults themselves. It might be cool to describe one of these wards and interview a normal member of one, but also find a different faith that similarly asks young people to commit and give something of themselves.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2:
Millennials are constantly surrounded by people trying to sell them things: products, ideas, lifestyles. Everyone around them has what they need, and it's always easily accessible. They have gotten used to finding what will give them the best payout with the least amount of work.
While some religious communities have sought to be the church that gives the most and demands the least to attract these young people, author and journalist Colleen Campbell, said that might be the wrong approach.
"I think there’s such an emphasis on marketing to young people that even religion is marketed to them," she said. "And they get turned off by it."
Instead, Campbell suggest that churches stop trying to sell themselves to young people with free pizza and start asking them to contribute to the church and church community. When young people devote themselves to something, she said, they become more attached to it.
"When they can find an authentic person who’s living their faith authentically and calling them to live with that same authenticity that’s difficult, often that’s what begins to make the connection with them and excites them.”
Question 1:
ReplyDeleteTo contextualize our stories, I think we need to insert less "expert" sources-- people who aren't authorities on religion, but people who have lived these realities as struggling millennial church members, members who have left, and members who have stayed with their church.
Question 2:
Neylan McBaine, author of "Women at Church," worked as a brand strategist for Bonneville communications, where she helped shape the LDS Church's "I'm a Mormon" campaign.
While conducting research at Bonneville, she noted that questions LDS missionaries are trained to answer for prospective church members-- where did I come from, where am I going-- aren't being asked anymore. "They don't think there's an answer," McBaine said.
So, what are people looking for in a church? A mirror.
McBaine sees a profound shift in spirituality that doesn't rely on a community, but centralizes on personal journeys, as some churches morph themselves to reflect personal courses.
“Originally it was about morphing to an institution. Now people are shopping for institutions based on what they currently believe and want.”
Question 1:
ReplyDeleteI think you need your statistics/numbers to back up the trend or the issue you're trying to address. Your next element needs to be an opinion from a credible source on that data in order to support that the issue is really an issue, supported by people that are familiar with it.
Question 2:
Josh Packard, a professor and researcher of religion in the sociology department at the University of Northern Colorado, thought he knew people—how they think, how they organize their lives, what they feel. But after a study done by he and his colleagues researching why people leave religion, he realized he was completely wrong.
“The story that we’re seeing about church decline is not a church story, it’s a society story. People no longer organize their lives primarily through large social institutions — it’s not how they think about getting together, it’s not how think about getting things done or allocating their own resources like time and money. That marks a major difference in our society, even from 10 or 15 years ago.”
(I would add info on the pew study here)
Generation "Y" researches want to know what goes on in the minds of the "free thinking" generation—where transitions are as as swiping a credit card or posting on social media. But maybe asking the question "why is the age group 15-25 leaving organized religion" isn't getting to the heart of the issue. Perhaps its an issue of "era", not "generation."
1. Incorporating personal, engaging anecdotes to introduce our readers to this issue in a personal way will separate our story from the rest of the Pew responses. We need to put faces to this issue and help people see millennials in a more positive way (I feel like a lot of news media outlets vilify millennials). Having some solid excerpts from the Pew study along with personal anecdotes and expert sources will give the story legs. I also think the Dean Inserra source will add some celebrity, which could bring us attention.
ReplyDeleteMark Holmes, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, worked personally with millennial "nones" during his undergraduate career at the University of Illinois. Holmes served on the Student Board of Illini Life, a campus ministry program developed to bring University of Illinois students to Christ.
"I cannot say enough about the effect that developing community has on a "none," Holmes said. "Genuine, Christ-like love for people is as profound now as it was 2000 years ago when Jesus was healing lepers and eating meals with tax collectors and prostitutes."
Illini Life aims to help students feel that Christ-like love through programs like Home Fellowships. Holmes said Home Fellowships are a deeper version of traditional Bible study where students are paired with Illini Life's pastors, members and families from the community to gather and discuss scripture and discipleship.