Journal #2 - Media Audiences:

Word Count 336
I reviewed the news coverage on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter Day Saints recent child custody cases in Texas.

News Paper

The article in USA Today, “FLDS Children moved to sports arena; Texas

separates those 5 and older from sect mothers,” was fairly short. It only stating the

important facts of the children and wives conditions. The source who was quoted was

Marleigh Meisner a spokeswoman for Texas Child Protective Services. She is the only

person who is quoted in this article. Though the article does mentions that the attorney for

the FLDS church, Gerald Goldstein, “did not return a call seeking comment,” (USA

Today, William M. Welch). There were no photos or charts used in this article.

Television

The television broadcast on the children and wives in child custody was also very

short, 2 minutes and 3 seconds. There were a total of four sources quoted, three men, and

one woman. Two of the men were fundamentalist Mormons, the third man was an

attorney, and the one woman was a current guardian of some of the children in custody.

The details on television are much more intricate because the use of the many graphics. It

also showed the Mormons speaking on their views, and their gigantic houses, and their

bus loads of families.

http://cbsnews.com

Website

The online coverage of the custody issue was extremely long compared to both the

newspaper and television. The story is about 40+ pages when it is printed out. The story

has many sources, and they are sources most people would take their word for. For

example the website quoted The Los Angeles Times, The Salt Lake Tribune, and etc. The

story was more like a print coverage. Because it was very informative and used sources,

it was not like the broadcast because there were not photos used at all. It was also very

different from both because at the end it allowed comments of random people. The

comments were both for and against the courts decisions.

http://messengerandadvocate.wordpress.com/2008/04/18/texas-judge-rules-all-416-must-remain-in-state-custody/