Tom Green, Polygamist coverage
In a 28 August report entitled "Polygamist Jailed for Child Rape,"
the BBC referred to polygamist Tom Green as a member of the "Mormon Church."
The report stated, "The Mormon Church, to which Green belongs, renounced
polygamy in the 1890s, when Utah became a state."
Other erroneous reports, referring to Tom Green as a "Mormon," appeared in several Australian newspapers —; the Australian, the Daily Telegraph (Sydney), the Courier Mail (Brisbane) and the Advertiser (Adelaide).
Fact:
Green is not a member of the "Mormon Church," properly called The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He
was excommunicated in the 1980s for the practice of polygamy. It is true that
the Church discontinued polygamy more than 100 years ago
Other related corrections and clarifications:
“Mormon fundamentalists” and Polygamy, Various media outlets, 6 February 2004
Mormon Tom Green, Court TV, 3 June 2002
30,000 Mormon Polygamists, USA Today, 12 February 2002
Fundamentalist Mormons, The Toronto Star, 6 February 2002
Style guide note: When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online style guide.
