Pittsburgh Pirates’ ballpark is one of the best
By Bobby Ross Jr. PITTSBURGH — I’ve always heard that PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is spectacular. Now I can confirm that based on personal experience. My sons Brady and Keaton and I traveled to Pittsburgh to see our beloved Texas Rangers play Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. Related: How I fell in love with baseball We had a wonderful time, and the Rangers … Continue reading Pittsburgh Pirates’ ballpark is one of the best
Flyover country: Concerning new Godbeat jobs, does location matter?
By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion
Location. Location. Location.
When it comes to that glorious, $4.9 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant that will fund 13 new religion journalists at The Associated Press, Religion News Service and The Conversation, exactly how much does location matter?
That’s the question some are asking after AP posted job ads for seven new positions last week and RNS did the same this week for its three grant-funded openings.
According to the ads, six of the seven AP positions will be based at AP headquarters in New York City or in Washington, D.C. The exception will be a Cairo-based newsperson who will cover Islamic faith and culture.
RNS, meanwhile, is hiring a managing editor to work in New York or Washington, along with a Rome-based Vatican correspondent and a Los Angeles-based national writer.
Sarah McCammon, an NPR national correspondent based in the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast U.S., grew up in a conservative Christian home in Kansas City and attended an evangelical college.
McCammon got more than 250 “likes” when she tweeted this suggestion to AP:
Special report from Jerusalem: Is the Holy Land the Promised Land?
Leading evangelical supporters of President Trump tout the modern state of Israel as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Scholars in Churches of Christ take a different view. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle JERUSALEM — To prominent evangelical allies of President Donald Trump, “the Lord is at work” in the administration’s high-profile backing of Israel. From moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem to recognizing … Continue reading Special report from Jerusalem: Is the Holy Land the Promised Land?
In Israel, a missile attack and a monk stir reflection
Project Interchange experience fosters better understanding of Middle East issues, but answers remain elusive. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle JERUSALEM — After a busy day that included a tour of a high-tech company in Ramallah, West Bank, and a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, I was wrapping up dinner when my phone pinged. “Your mom just called super worried,” … Continue reading In Israel, a missile attack and a monk stir reflection
Bobby Ross Jr. honored with eight ACP ‘Best of the Church Press’ awards for 2018
By Bobby Ross Jr. CHICAGO — I was blessed to receive eight honors — including first place in three categories — in the Associated Church Press “Best of the Church Press” contest. The awards, presented at the ACP’s annual awards banquet April 11, recognized content produced in 2018. In all, The Christian Chronicle received 15 awards. In case my mother is reading, here is a … Continue reading Bobby Ross Jr. honored with eight ACP ‘Best of the Church Press’ awards for 2018
Bobby Ross Jr.’s profile of disaster relief truck driver wins first in two national contests
By Bobby Ross Jr. OKLAHOMA CITY — After Hurricane Michael last year, I rode along with a disaster relief truck driver taking emergency supplies from Nashville, Tenn., to hard-hit Panama City, Fla. My “18 wheels and a heart to serve” piece earned a first-place award for personality article at the Evangelical Press Association’s annual convention this week. (UPDATE: The same story won first place for … Continue reading Bobby Ross Jr.’s profile of disaster relief truck driver wins first in two national contests
Meet the real-life pastor portrayed in the Easter film ‘Breakthrough’
The faith-based film, starring Chrissy Metz of ‘This Is Us’ fame, opens nationwide April 17. It’s the story of a teen who slips into an icy lake and has no pulse — until his mother prays. By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion Unplugged OKLAHOMA CITY — Four years ago, Jason Noble was an unknown pastor for an Assemblies of God church in the St. … Continue reading Meet the real-life pastor portrayed in the Easter film ‘Breakthrough’
President of Religion News Association wins Pulitzer for Tree of Life coverage
By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion
One of my favorite religion writers just won a Pulitzer Prize, the most prestigious award in journalism.
Mega-congrats to Peter Smith of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette!
The Post-Gazette staff — including Smith, president of the Religion News Association — earned the Pulitzer for Breaking News Reporting.
That paper was cited for “immersive, compassionate coverage of the massacre at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue that captured the anguish and resilience of a community thrust into grief.”
I liked what David Shribman, the Post-Gazette’s executive editor and vice president, told his newsroom: “There isn’t one of us in this room who wouldn’t exchange the Pulitzer Prize for those 11 lives.”
Continue reading “President of Religion News Association wins Pulitzer for Tree of Life coverage”
Stunning reversal: Judge vacates former youth minister’s sex convictions
Charges against Clyde E. Brothers Jr. fell outside Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations, new ruling asserts. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle A highly publicized Pennsylvania grand jury report last year identified more than 300 predator Catholic priests who had sexually abused more than 1,000 children going back decades. But because the crimes were hidden by the church hierarchy, “almost every instance of abuse … Continue reading Stunning reversal: Judge vacates former youth minister’s sex convictions
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 