John Allen = More than just a Catholic Journalist

IN a post below I mentioned that I wouldn't consider John Allen a Catholic journalist. That was meant to be a compliment--but I can see how it could be taken in another way.

Allen is MORE than a Catholic journalist. Most Catholic journalists (meaning those who write for a Catholic paper--diocesan, NCR, OSV, whomever) are considered irrelevant in the secular media. But certainly not John. He's the go-to guy for most people. Some others are beginning to make headways into that realm as well. Rocco Palmo is often quoted in the NY Times. Amy Welborn writes op-eds. Even Jim Martin at America magazine and Fr. Dave Dwyer at my own BustedHalo have made the rounds in the media.

However the random Catholic newspaper editors are often viewed as spin doctors for the Bishop of the diocese and every article often reads like "what a great diocese we have."

We need to be more than than to be taken seriously. John Allen raises that bar high.