"Our Mutual Joy," Newsweek magazine religion writer Lisa Miller's December 15, 2008 cover story on gay marriage leads the winners of the Religion Communicators Council's 2009 Wilbur Awards. According to Newsweek, while some readers sent messages of "heartfelt" support, many others disagreed with what Miller calls the "religious case for gay marriage." The article generated more than 100,000 e-mail responses and over 2,000,000 "hits" on Newsweek's web site. Wilbur judges noted that, while people of faith and Religion Communicators Council members disagree widely on the subject of gay marriage, Miller's article is a fine example of the purpose of the Wilbur Awards which is to recognize "excellence in the presentation of religious issues, themes and values."
These awards will be presented on March 28 at ceremonies at the Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their presentation will be hosted by Shiba Russell, anchor/reporter for WCVB-TV, the ABC television affiliate in Boston. The Wilburs are named for Marvin C. Wilbur, a pioneer in the field of religious communication.
