An academic symposium, "Mormon Moment(s) and the Media," will be held at Brigham Young University’s Conference Center Thursday and Friday, Nov. 8 and 9.
The symposium is free, registration is not required and the public is welcome to attend. For more information and to pre-order lunch for the event, visit the website at ce.byu.edu/cw/mmstudies/. Lunch also can be ordered by calling 801-422-8925 before noon Wednesday, Nov. 7. The Conference Center is located northeast of the Marriott Center, and free parking is available.
Featured keynote speaker will be David Campbell, professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame and co-author with Robert Putnam of the highly acclaimed book, “American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us.”
Campbell will speak on the topic of “The Mormon Dilemma: The Pros and Cons of Being a Peculiar People” Thursday at 11 a.m.
The symposium will also feature paper presentations and panel discussions by communications practitioners and professors on a wide variety of topics, including media coverage of religion, Mormonism and Romney during the 2012 campaign; the “I’m a Mormon” advertising campaign; “The Book of Mormon,” the musical; media literacy and media use in LDS families; Internet use by Mormons; LDS musicians, music, radio and television; and more.
Several LDS-related documentaries and films will also be shown during the two-day event.
“The idea for the symposium came about because of the increasing visibility and involvement in the media by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” said Sherry Baker, symposium organizer and a BYU communications professor. “The symposium is dedicated to fostering the academic study of all aspects of Mormons and media, both past and present.”
“This year, there will be a special focus on what has been called the ‘Mormon Moment’ and the media,” Baker said.
Added Communications Department Chair Ed Adams, “Because the media is such a powerful force in shaping societal perceptions, it is vital to explore the interconnection between the media and Mormonism.”
For more information, visit the website at ce.byu.edu/cw/mmstudies/.
Writer: Hwa Lee
