Terry Mattingly looks at future dates in the Kerry/Communion issue, and evaluates some journalism resources

It will be almost impossible for Kerry and the bishops to quietly occupy the same Colorado zip code without a wave of media coverage. This means that fair-minded journalists must find a way to find and accurately quote Catholics on both sides of this highly complex and emotional issue. Right now, many journalists seem to be assuming that Catholics have a civil right to take communion and that bishops have no right to speak out about sacramental issues if they have liberal politicians who kneel at their altars.

Will journalists have the courage to quote articulate people on both sides? I raise this question because of a recent edition of Religion Link, that online aid for journalists prepared by the Religion Newswriters Association. In addition to offering tips on covering the religious right — no sign of the religious left, however — it includes a set of national and regional resources on the Catholic communion story.