Spring 1977
The Spring 1977 issue explores "IMAGEMAKERS: Mormons and the Media" which looks at the complex relationship between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and media over time, focusing on its evolving strategies, challenges, and public perceptions. Milton Hollstein discusses the Church's role as a media owner, navigating the balance between religious identity and public outreach. Wendell Ashton provides insights on marketing efforts to shape the Church's image. Fred C. Esplin examines its broadcasting ventures, while Paul Swenson highlights issues in journalistic coverage. Richard Alan Nelson traces Mormonism’s shifting portrayal in film, from hostile portrayals to greater acceptance. Merlo J. Pusey reflects on his half-century career in journalism, and Gary L. Bunker with Davis Bitton present Mormon depictions in 19th-century illustrated periodicals. Finally, Stephen W. Stathis and Dennis L. Lythgo analyze Mormonism’s public image in the 1970s, examining popular perception shifts. Plus more!
Small wonder that churches use the mass media as a broad-based platform for information and persuasion. The communications marvels of our century make it possible for the LDS Church to reach a wide audience indeed,…
The Mormon Church is a formidable broadcast institution. Through subsidiary corporations and institutions it owns sixteen radio and television stations, a sophisticated international broadcast distribution system, a Washington news bureau, a cable TV system and production and consulting divisions.
Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Six was not a dull year for the 127-year-old Deseret News. Melvin Dummar, a Box Elder County service station operator, was named, along with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,…
Mormons have been involved in films ever since Hollywood became a magic word. Church members first tried to influence the Hollywood establishment, then went on to create their own film industries; finally, today a corps…
Can a Mormon boy from the cow country of the West reasonably aspire to a writing career in the mainstream of our national life? What roads are open to him? Must he sacrifice his faith…
Image history—how the Mormons were viewed by others—has been a fruitful approach used by several historians during the past decade.
Perhaps more than the members of any other religious sect, Mormons are preoccupied with their public image. It may be argued that such preoccupation is a form of narcissism unworthy of the Restored Gospel, but…
“Public relations” is the process by which an organization or institution re lates to any of the “publics” with which it deals. As open-ended as this may seem, in practice, the Church as an institution…
The magazine picture xeroxed a duplicate print
in my brain. Its caption Mother
cradles child dying of starvation
turned my thumb toward the page corner
Kieth Merrill, who created the Great American Cowboy, has done it again. This time the movie is Indian, a beautiful, kaleidoscopic montage dramatized through the odyssey of a young Navajo (Raymond Tracey), who has left…
