On the God Beat in SoCal

Interfaith-ish

How has journalism changed in the midst of a pandemic? Alejandra Molina was only a few weeks in to her new job as a religion reporter when I caught up with her and colleague Deepa Bharath of the Orange County Register last September. Now a global crisis has upended all facets of society, including religious life. In this two-part interview, I speak with Deepa and Alejandra about lessons covering the "God beat" before and during the pandemic, the diversity of Latino religious identities in SoCal, inspiring responses they've witnessed by faith communities, and the constant vigilance required to keep their parents away from online conspiracy theories. Learn more about: Deepa Bharath https://www.ocregister.com/author/deepa-bharath/ Alejandra Molina https://religionnews.com/author/amolina/ Stories referenced in this episode: Crystal Cathedral https://www.ocregister.com/2010/10/24/rifts-debt-tear-at-crystal-cathedral/ Taco Trucks at Every Mosque https://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/04/indo-chinese-mosque-members-break-ramadan-fast-with-tacos/ https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/05/26/tacos-for-iftar-ramadan-and-a-new-era-start-today/ Priest in a Pickup Truck https://religionnews.com/2020/04/09/as-a-pandemic-peaks-at-christianitys-easter-climax-churches-adapt-online/ Rabbis Allow Zoom during Passover https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/raabis-approve-the-use-of-zoom-to-celebrate-passover-due-to-coronavirus-622221 Drive-In Church https://www.ocregister.com/2020/03/30/coronavirus-begins-to-usher-in-new-era-of-drive-in-churches-in-southern-california/ Ramadan in Quarantine https://religionnews.com/2020/04/23/during-ramadan-in-quarantine-muslims-get-creative-to-preserve-community/ Remote Iftar https://www.remoteiftar.com/ Shoulder to Shoulder's Interfaith Iftars https://www.shouldertoshouldercampaign.org/ramadan-series Synagogue Wishes Mosque Ramadan Mubarak https://www.facebook.com/priscillamtz/videos/10157818064938141/ Riverside Sikhs Delivering Meals https://www.pe.com/2020/04/24/southern-california-sikhs-a-godsend-for-those-in-need-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/ Khalsa Care Foundation http://khalsacarefoundation.com/