East-West Church & Ministry Report
Vol. 6, No. 2, Spring 1998, Covering the Former Soviet Union and East Central Europe


Editorial
Reporting on Religion at Its Best

Mark Elliott

"Keston News Service correspondent Lawrence Uzzell deserves a Pulitzer Prize for his exceptional reporting on recent threats to religious freedom in Russia." I made this statement at a conference on the new 1997 Russian law on religion at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, in October 1997, only to learn, to my pleasant surprise, that Mr. Uzzell already had been nominated by Professor John Witte, the organizer of the Emory meeting. Whether or not, in this instance, Keston's tenacious watchdog for freedom of conscience receives the recognition he deserves, his 23 April 1998 summary evaluation of the new law's impact is a perfect illustration of his reporting at its best. It should be required reading for all serious observers of the Russian scene. "Concrete Effects of Russia's New Religion Law" masterfully weaves together the complicated and contradictory strands of the story in nine single-spaced pages of carefully nuanced text. His observations deserve our close attention.

These are only some of Mr. Uzzell's thought-provoking observations, which deserve to be read in their entirety. My closing compliment for Keston's Moscow correspondent is to observe that the best reporting leads readers to their own reflections and observations. Let me close with two of my own. Keston Institute and its founder, Michael Bourdeaux, are to be commended for supporting the outstanding investigative reporting of Moscow correspondent Larry Uzzell. May his number increase.

Mark Elliott, editor

Editor's note: For subscription rates and order information for Keston News Service contact Keston Institute, 4 Park Town, Oxford OX2 6SH, England; tel: 44-865-311-022; fax: 44-865-311-280; e-mail: keston.institute@keston.org.


Mark Elliott, "Reporting on Religion at Its Best," East-West Church & Ministry Report, 6 (Spring 1998), 15-16.

Written permission is required for reprinting or electronic distribution of any portion of the East-West Church & Ministry Report.

© 1998 East-West Church and Ministry Report
ISSN 1069-5664


East-West Church & Ministry Report | Contents | Search Back Issues | From Our Readers | Subscribe
Feedback