Why “Of Good Report”
The name Of Good Report has two meanings. It refers to quality reporting: journalism that is accurate, credible, and constructive. It also echoes Article of Faith 13, which speaks of seeking anything "virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy." Those four words suggest simple questions to ask of any source:
- Virtuous: Does it show integrity and bring clarity rather than confusion?
- Lovely: Does it elevate and inform, or does it exploit fear and division?
- Of good report: Is it credible and well regarded by those who value accuracy?
- Praiseworthy: Does it serve the common good?
This project documents the journalism and news sources that speakers in General Conference have cited, as a resource for media literacy. It is non-partisan and educational: it presents information without telling readers what to think. It is meant to be a calm place for reflection, not a source of "breaking news."
How the Data Is Gathered
The data is assembled mostly by software and refined by hand over time. Here is what that involves, including its limits.
- Collection: Talks and their footnotes are collected automatically from General Conference talks published on churchofjesuschrist.org. Only General Conference talks are included, not other addresses.
- Sorting: Software sorts each footnote by type (scripture, Church publication, book, news, and so on) using a list of several hundred known news outlets, their names, and their web addresses. An AI-assisted pass helps flag footnotes the rules could not classify.
- Review: Citations are reviewed by hand over time, but not every citation has been individually reviewed yet. Automated sorting can make mistakes, and corrections are welcome.
- Older talks: Footnotes became standard in conference talks in the 1990s. Earlier talks cited sources in the spoken text, which is harder to capture, so they are underrepresented.
- Church-affiliated outlets: Outlets owned by or affiliated with the Church (Deseret News, Church News, LDS Living, Meridian Magazine) are grouped separately and hidden by default on the Sources and Talks pages, so the site highlights mainstream journalism. A switch shows them. KSL is counted as mainstream journalism even though it is Church-owned, because it operates as a conventional newsroom.
- Historical newspapers: Some footnotes cite 19th-century papers quoted for Church history, such as the Woman’s Exponent or the Deseret Weekly. Those publications closed long ago and are not part of journalism today, so they are left out of the source lists. The footnotes themselves are unchanged; only the sources are not counted here.
- Updates: The data is updated after General Conference, when time allows.
Important Context
Citation does not equal endorsement. A source cited in a talk is not thereby endorsed by the Church, its leaders, or this project. Sources are cited for many reasons, including:
- Providing statistics or factual context
- Illustrating cultural trends
- Offering secular perspectives
- Contrasting secular viewpoints with religious teachings
Educational purpose. This project is for educational and informational purposes only.
Independent project. Of Good Report is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Personal judgment. Readers should exercise their own judgment and follow prophetic counsel when evaluating any media source.
Contact
Of Good Report is a personal project by Noah Myers. Questions, corrections, and suggestions are welcome through my website.