By: Caitlyn Costley
Professors Ed Adams and Kenneth Cannon spoke at the Mormon Media Studies Symposium on Thursday about the importance of LDS public relations in the 1800s.
Adams began the session by discussing the implications and history behind publishing a story referring to Mormonism in the 1800s.
“There were patrician papers, which were very opinionated; periodicals, which were inconsistent; and evangelical newspapers,” Adams said. “They most certainly were not friends to the Mormons.”
Besides the publications themselves, the style of writing during that period made it extremely difficult to get positive press out. Objectivity was years away from being a standard journalistic practice; each newspaper and reporter had a very close tie to one party or another. Making sure that a reporter’s information was correct also didn’t become standard practice until the 1900s.
Cannon presented on one Mormon newspaper writer in particular — Isaac Russell.
Isaac Russell was a popular East Coast writer and a Mormon during the time of President Joseph F. Smith, covering events such as the sinking of the Titanic for the New York Times.
Due to his popularity and success as a journalist, President Smith gave Russell a secret assignment to write and publish positive Mormon articles in different newspapers along the East Coast.
His efforts were very well received, and due to his talents as a persuader, Russell was able to get a private audience with President Theodore Roosevelt. During their conversation, President Roosevelt was so moved by Russell’s account of Mormon history that he agreed to write a letter in rebuttal to the popular anti-Mormon literature.
“’President Roosevelt’s letter is comparable to an ancient Roman emperor writing a letter defending ancient Christians,’” Cannon quoted President Heber J. Grant, Joseph F. Smith’s successor as Church President, as stating.
