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They're comparing apples and oranges, so Weblog went to the Chronicle's website to see what it had to say about TBN. Search results for "Trinity Broadcasting" returned six results:

One was simply a 1998 list of the 400 largest charities. Another list said that TBN, along with 17 other religious groups provided salary information to the Chronicle even though it did not have to file IRS Form 990. Another noted that TBN saw a 108.3 percent increase in funds raised via the Internet from 2000 to 2001. But two were "Watchdog Watch" articles noting that TBN had failed to report its finances to the Better Business Bureau, and the sixth article detailed a huge jump in Paul Crouch's salary, from $159,500 in 1997 to $262,915 in 1998.

There are some interesting details in the TBN press release. For one, it says the Los Angeles Times has been working on the article detailing the network's finances for more than three years. TBN says this is a sign of a "determined attack," but one wonders if it shows that the paper really did its homework rather than rush to judgment. TBN also says that the Times contacted every TBN employee via e-mail.

Then there's this interesting sentence: "What the paper neglected to include is that the finance/business reporter for the LA Times, E. Scott Reckard, after an exhaustive review of TBN's financial material and annual tax returns, commented that TBN ran a tight ship."

It's unclear what TBN's source for this statement is, but one hopes we'll soon hear from Reckard, who has reported other religion-and-finance stories.

One of the most troubling accusations in the press release, however, is TBN's assertion that the Times is motivated by anti-religious bias. "The press at times refuses to understand, respect or appreciate religious issues, particularly Christian inspirational television," the release says. "The newspaper publisher has its own agenda. Its reporting has been selective and subjective. TBN and Dr. Crouch's reason for being over the last 30-plus years has been completely public, and for the most part recorded. It is to the entirety of that work, and the fulfillment of the call to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, to which Trinity Broadcasting Network and its founders remain loyal."

In fact, the Times was anything but anti-religious in its coverage. The critics quoted in the series so far have either been former staff, former donors, or Christian watchdog organizations like Wall Watchers and the Trinity Foundation. And questions of stewardship are anything but un-Christian: the New Testament repeatedly warns Christians to be on guard against church leaders who seek riches or who get wealthy at others' expense.

The Times has not yet responded to the TBN press release, but its content and length all but assure that the newspaper's series will continue. Barry Bowen of ChristianHeadlines.com says the next step in the story may be tax-related: He notes that the IRS last month announced that it is cracking down on excessive compensation for leaders of tax-exempt organizations.

Church & state:

• ACLU loses bid to bar newspaper from publishing man's name | U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf said there was no proof that putting the restraint on the Omaha World-Herald was appropriate (Associated Press)

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September (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48