Hoping to avoid a repeat of last October’s General Conference, the LDS Church has reversed policy and banned not only media cameras, but reporters as well.
[poll id=404]
Comments?
Church Policy, General Conference, Mormon, Priesthood, weekend poll
Banning the Media During General Conference (Weekend Poll)
Wheat & Tares 
The ban seems inconsistent with missionary mindedness and inviting all to “come and see”.
To my knowledge General Conference doesn’t generally make media headlines in this country. However, the OW action in October did result in a few articles in national newspapers, so in that sense it acted to increase awareness of GC.
As to banning media – I don’t think it means there’ll be no GC broadcast, and since everyone and his great aunt seems to have a camera on their phone I doubt there’ll be a shortage of images.
I think the Church’s action is appropriate as the landowner of private property.
Everyone knows the protest will be captured on cellphone cameras. That’s not the point.
My cellphone, digital camera and video camera all take video. How effective can this media ban be?
Pretty sure they’ve not kicked out media from the conference itself, or even from outside the conference center. Keeping the media off Temple Square will even keep the media concentrated on those not being admitted. Could it be the Church -wants- more discussion on this?
Worldwide missionaries notwithstanding, “banning” media from where it was previously free makes the church look quite backward and insular (oh, wait. It is.)
Since only a very small percent of people trust and care about the kind of media that would be “banned” I don’t think it means a thing. The stories would be the same biased junk on or off the property; but, at least the LDS Church wouldn’t be enabling the wolves.
I elected “other” only b/c there are several aspects of this, both good and (potentially) bad. The message to all the dissenters and nay-sayers is clear: “We’re not going to enable you in striving against the Cause”.
AFAIK, the Church does not engage in sound bites and media manipulation in the same manner as an astute politician (like Mitt Romney). On second thought, perhaps “Mr. Forty-Seven Percent” (he wasn’t wrong to think it, but foolish to say it) wasn’t so astute after all.
The “yes and no” answer is another Utah-centric choice. Hedgehog is quite right in saying To my knowledge General Conference doesn’t generally make media headlines in this country; honestly, outside Happy Valley, it doesn’t make headlines anywhere. No one in the US outside LDS members and investigators cares what Mormon church leaders do with their weekend.
That said, banning media is wrong and short-sighted, not because of what people will think of it (because they don’t care) or because they won’t hear the prophets (because they don’t care), but because it’s wrong and short-sighted. All the Church is doing is feeding the enemies more ammo to rant about, and looking (both to members and foes) repressive and censorious. If the truth has nothing to fear, then quit acting like you fear it.