Another extremist portrayal (Updated)

You often hear about stereotypes in media along the
line of race and gender and those do indeed exist. What
about the stereotypes of religious people? How many
times have you've seen the portrayals of Christian
evangelicals as hypocritical nut cases.

Tonight CNN will premiere a documentary called
God's Warriors. Last night on Larry King, Christiane
Amanpour said it will focus on "fundamentalists,"
code word for religious wackos. For once I would like to
see a positive image of evangelicals and other religious
people. And if the media wanted to show Christians
in a good light to balance all the negatives it wouldn't
be hard. There are plenty of Christian missionaries in the
front lines in Africa in a fight against AIDS and poverty
and in other dangerous places in the world. But I've
come to believe that is not the image the gatekeepers
of mainstream media want you to have because that
would mean that religion actually has a beneficial purpose.
We couldn't have that image now, could we?

I suggest that CNN benefits from showcasing extremists
on a daily basis and not just religious ones. How many
times have you seen Bill Maher or Ann Coulter on
CNN's news programs promoting their books or shows?
How about the news media taking some sort of the responsibility
for these religious and political zealots they give a voice to on
regular basis? Instead of trying to higher the level of religion
and political discourse they get the most outrageous people to
represent a whole group.

I propose that CNN not invite bigoted religious figures or political
demagogues on air. Some might call this censorship because news
organizations have the right to put on controversial and divisive
people, which is true. However, they are not obligated in any shape
or form to give these people a platform.

I would never get two seconds speaking about religion or
politics on CNN because I don't use hateful and divisive
words. I know while airing 'God's Warriors,' the news
organization is going to pretend that it is an objective look
at the people of faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam but
if it was it wouldn't focus on the 'fundamentalists,' as Amanpour
said.U

Update 8/22: I watched the first part of the documentary
last night and must admit every minute was interesting.
However, I felt it was heavily slanted toward the Palestinian
view of the situation.