A Kinder and Gentler Sunstone?

The Sunstone Multi-Media Show rolls into Salt Lake City next week (starting Wednesday August 8), according to this informative preview in the SL Trib. The article highlights the role of "Mormon blogger and media expert John Dehlin," the new Sunstone Executive Director, in moving Sunstone in a new direction. Not being a subscriber, I can't say what the old direction was, but the article notes the magazine "hopes to expand its coverage of social issues such as depression, mental illness, addiction and body image." Seems like an upbeat topic or two wouldn't hurt either. No doubt the conference will receive wide coverage in the SLC media and on various blogs. Hint: be careful where you set up your laptops.

Comments

[Rory]

We've already offered Ardis a table :)

The upbeat topics are planned, too, but we are still trying to refine our talking points. Unfortunately the downers came through. The article is a good start, though, and does hit on how we plan to expand our efforts in examining Mormonism and Mormon faith and how it might inform and influence our approach to both personal and public contemporary issues. The goal is to critically examine, but also to celebrate.

We'll be touching on this in the Friday night Pillars of Faith session.

[Mike Parker]

Rory: We've already offered Ardis a table :)

I would ask everyone who wasn't there and didn't see what happened to please consider that there are two sides to every story. FAIR volunteers made a very reasonable request, and, sadly and strangely, the situation quickly turned very ugly.

Ardis was not "banished" from the conference; she alone made the decision to leave.

The MA&DB discussion board (which the Net & Nacle incorrectly refers to as "the FAIR board") is not controlled by FAIR. We asked the moderators to remove the thread about this incident, and they kindly complied. T&S's administrators have also thoughtfully removed Ardis' blog post.

Regardless of your feelings for FAIR, if you weren't there, please don't claim to know what really happened.

[Dave]

Mike, the MAD boards are generally recognized as the successors to the FAIR boards, aren't they? I glossed the board history for the purpose of a sidebar blurb. And the MAD post is still there, as of 2:59 p.m. PDT. Not that it does any harm. Crisis plus time equals humor, as Paul Dunn once said.

[Mike Parker]

Dave,

I checked the MA&DB board earlier today, and the Ardis thread had disappeared; now it appears to be back. Assuming I'm not completely mental (which has yet to be proven), I'm opposed to its reinstatement. The situation wasn't funny, and I don't think anyone -- on either side -- stands to gain anything by discussing it publicly.

FAIR divested itself of management of the MA&DB boards about a year ago. The boards don't represent the level of discourse FAIR is seeking. There are some people associated with FAIR who post there, but the FAIR board of directors doesn't have control over the content of the MA&DB discussion board.

[Rory]

Mike,

My passing remark wasn't intended in any hostile sense, I'm sorry if it came across as such. I understand that these things happen and they are unexpected. It's unfortunate, and if the tables were turned I'm sure we'd prefer it not be a distraction from the actual conference as well.

[Matt W.]

if the tables were turned

Now that's funny.

[John Mansfield]

Expanded coverage of depression, mental illness, addiction and body image? Offhand, it sounds like Sunstone is aiming for more female readers or fewer male readers.

The main thing I've learned from the the Ardis-FAIR flap, as one who doesn't use one, is that laptops really aren't.

[Mike Parker]

I've had three laptops. The first had a 13.3" screen, the second had a 15" screen, and my most recent one has a 17" screen. Fortunately, as I've gotten older my lap has increased in width so as to accommodate these increases.

Rory: No offense taken. It was a childish moment, one that should be put to rest rather than discussed endlessly.

[John Dehlin]

Yeah...we definitely need to work on the talking points. That does sound depressing!!!!