Listener feedback: March 23, 2018

NICK EICHER, HOST:  Today is Friday, March 23rd. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from member-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. It’s time now for listener feedback. Managing Editor J.C. Derrick is here with quite a tall stack, so let’s get right to it. Good morning, J.C.!

J.C. DERRICK, MANAGING EDITOR: Good morning! Thanks as always to the many listeners who have contacted us this month. It’s encouraging and at the same time challenging, because they always keep us on our toes.

We’ll start today by telling on ourselves. We reported that Seattle’s homeless Tent City 5 is 1,2oo square feet, but we missed a zero. The tent city is actually about 12,000 square feet.

REICHARD: Also, in our report on Rachael Denhollander, we referred to Larry Nassar as an employee of the University of Michigan. That is incorrect. Nassar worked for Michigan State University until 2016. Our sincere apologies to all you Wolverines out there.

EICHER: Next, we’ll go to our listener feedback line for a critique.

AUDIO: Hello, this is Honey Burke. I listened in the Southern, California area last week. I heard you report on a quote unquote Christian abortionist. Really? So if I start selling my body for sex and twist scripture to justify it, will you report on me as a Christian prostitute? Come on guys. You can do better, and you usually do. Thanks.

EICHER: Well, I’m glad you called in, because that gives me an opportunity to do a better job explaining the point of our story from Mississippi. Obviously, I didn’t do a good job there.

Y’all have heard a speaker trying to communicate a message that’s really easily misunderstood. The speaker will employ the famous double-negative, “Now don’t hear what I’m not saying.”

What we were not saying was that we accept the idea that a Christian in good conscience can do abortions. We do not believe that’s possible. A true Christian conscience would turn an abortionist away from abortion.

The reason we did the story is to let you know there’s an abortionist making the rounds claiming to be a Christian and attempting, as you say, to twist scripture to justify it.

One of our mantras around here is sensational facts, understated prose. Scripture guides us here. We felt this story had sensational facts that warranted coverage.  We see the man’s actions as reprehensible. Our intention, in an understated way, was to point out how wrong-headed he is. Seems we may have been TOO understated.

DERRICK: Hmm. Next we have a tweet from Paul Shippy who asked his friends and Twitter followers: “Ever wish there were a high quality, God-honoring alternative to NPR?” He went on to recommend our program. And, Mary, he added this: The Supreme Court analysis on Mondays is, he said, “top notch” and that he’s “addicted.”

REICHARD: Wow, addictions can be dangerous. But this one’s OK! Thanks for the Legal Docket plug, Paul.

EICHER: OK, here’s a review on iTunes: “Life is full of ups and downs,” and what this reviewer loves most about The World and Everything in It is “the balance between the two.” The reviewer says it’s important to “know about and understand the tragedies, conflicts, and debates happening in the world. But it’s also so refreshing and enlightening to hear about human achievement, everyday people joyfully living out their callings, and the random humorous tidbits” that are a reminder “to laugh.” This reviewer loves every segment, therefore cannot pick a favorite, and encourages us to keep up the great work.

DERRICK: I love that! It actually reminds me of our mission to deliver biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires. If we’re doing our jobs well, then it makes sense for listeners to experience a range of emotions.

REICHARD: Next up: another call on our listener feedback line at 202-709-9595.

AUDIO: Hi, this is Mary Wilson from Greenville, South Carolina, and my friend a few months ago had told me about this podcast, and that it was from a Christian world view, and that it was a little bit more newsy than the one I had been listening to. And I gave it a try right away, and instantly really loved it. I love the sound bites. I love the difference i  n reporters as it switches from one to another. The sound bites are really great, because I don’t always hear the news live, and so to be able to hear that from either the president or congressman or somebody else they’re interviewing is really beneficial. I just really enjoyed listening to y’all’s radio. I’ve told so many people about it. I just continue to encourage you all to do what you’re doing, getting the non bias news, but doing it with a Christian world view is so important, because in our culture today there’s so many different opinions that aren’t based in Scripture. And I’m so encouraged that y’all are doing that and trying to keep Christ central. Thanks so much. Bye.

REICHARD: Well, thank you, Mary. we’re glad to have you part of the family — and may I just say I love your name? [chuckle]

EICHER: We have time now for one more caller.

AUDIO: Hello, my name is Ian McAllister., I’m calling from Central, North Carolina. I just want to thank you for the program and listen to the world everything in almost every day,, and if not listening at when it comes out each week great program that may be my wife listen to. Today specifically I just wanted to thank you for the great piece by Laura Finch on the DACA program and the Dreamers. Great to hear some valuable perspective on that really sensitive issue, uh, bring in some other sides to the issue… Keep up the good work, and we will keep listening. Thank you.

DERRICK: With the Lord’s help, we will seek to keep up the good work.

As I said when we started today, constructive criticism does keep us on our toes and the many encouraging words are refreshing. So we thank you for that. And I’ll encourage you to keep up the good feedback.

Via email you can reach us at feedback-at-world-and-everything-dot-com. Or you can call us on our listener feedback line at 202-709-9595. That’s 202-709-9595. This is radio—so let us hear from you!

REICHARD: Yes, and please give us a like or follow on Facebook and Twitter. Just search for WORLD Radio.

And if you listen to the program on your phone, please give us a review. I’m happy to report hundreds of you have done that just on iTunes over the past few months.

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