Megan Sweas

Freelance Journalist specializing in social, political & religious issues I @CristoRey book author I @USCCRCC I @WomenJournos I Writer, Editor, Student of Life

[Sophie Carson @SCarson_News]

So much good advice from @bobsmietana on this #RNA2024 panel!

“Get past the yelling people to find the other people.”
“Sometimes we want to save journalism, and sometimes we want to do one good story.”
“If you walk around your neighborhood, the stories will be there.”

[Megan Sweas @msweas]

So disheartening!

In disaster response field, I've learned, they say that a disaster is not the place to exchange business cards. I've often thought tools @USCCRCC and @NDIN developed for that field could be useful for journalists too. #RNA2024

https://t.co/LX5rKGbajT

[Sarah Ventre @sarazonah]

It’s so disheartening how many people (of different faiths) at #RNA2024 have mentioned that journalists are still not building relationships w/ religious communities outside of calling them after a terrorist attack or something similarly horrible.

We’ve gotta work on this y’all

[Megan Sweas @msweas]

@jlupf @Sandi This is why I wouldn’t do Spirit if you’re going anywhere with weather. Only time I booked on Spirit, I got stuck in Minneapolis in a late April snowstorm. All flights were down for a day, but Spirit rebooked me on a flight multiple days later. Got on American the next morning.

[Ken Chitwood @kchitwood]

Feliz Ramadán, my friends! 🌙🕌📿🤲

[Megan Sweas @msweas]

Clergy trying to represent their communities on police review boards being marginalized in civilian review process. @RevJuju featured in the @latimes story.

Want to share this with folks at #RNA2023:

https://t.co/zgdHQ9iPEV

[USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture @usccrcc]

As Day 2 of #RNA2023 kicks off, here are some pics of the fun our #SpiritualExemplars crew had yesterday in Bethesday.

@JudySilber @msweas @kchitwood @StoryFreund @kjwinston11 @PriyadarshiniS_ @ShindoStreet @RevJuju @soraya_aydin - feel free to tag those I missed.

[Megan Sweas @msweas]

Telling stories as a “three-act journey” instead of as an inverted paragraph. Love this idea! #RNA2023

[Megan Sweas @msweas]

#RNA2023 after previous panel and this panel, I think it’d be really interesting to have a discussion between qualitative researchers, survey folks and journalists about understanding and using data. Future conference!

[Megan Sweas @msweas]

@mwecker @bobsmietana I wanted to message you that I miss your presence, especially you your witty and always on point questions! Also I realized yesterday that this hotel hosted my first RNA…in 2012. And I remember getting drinks with you, Ken and Scott Thumma one night!

[USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture @usccrcc]

@kjwinston11 on our #SpiritualExemplars panel at #RNA2023:
Spiritual exemplars versus spiritual jerks - goody goodies are boring - how do you interest big news outlets in a story with no news peg? I chose people who were conflicted, not all sweetness and light.

[USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture @usccrcc]

@StoryFreund on our #SpiritualExemplar panel at #RNA2023: I felt more comfortable with the term urgent optimist. The possibility of making a difference or making change even in the face of obstacles to change.

[Megan Sweas @msweas]

@kjwinston11 making us cry back here saying her work for #engagedspirituality project is a highlight of her career. Very rarely in your reporting do you meet somebody about whom you can say is this is the real deal, she says. #RNA2023

[Megan Sweas @msweas]

So proud of these journalists, part of @usccrcc’s project on engagedspirituality. Just 5 of an amazing 33 fellows.

[Megan Sweas @msweas]

Coming off Twitter hiatus for #RNA2023. Time to present on @usccrcc’s project on #engagedspirituality: 80 journalism fellowship projects commissioned over the last 4 years.

[Megan Sweas @msweas]

@Meagan_Salia Sorry to hear this. You’ve been an invaluable partner and a pleasure to work with. Will you be at RNA?

[Megan Sweas @msweas]

@GibsonWrites Right before RNA too! Will you be going? (To RNA, not EWTN conference)

[USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture @usccrcc]

Our friends at the @pillars_fund are hiring!

[USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture @usccrcc]

Alfred Lomas at our “Reimagining Ministry (Again)” conference: His organization, Inner City Visions, focuses on community violence prevention, with on the ground initiatives like safe passage through local parks and school intervention.

https://t.co/NoJwBa2UPT

[USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture @usccrcc]

Caroline Sato at our “Reimagining Ministry (Again)” conf: “God has called us to love and serve our West Long Beach neighbors in practical ways.” Fountain of Life Covenant Church hosts programs like tutoring to English-language education and youth groups.

https://t.co/yCnHbMtXv2

[Soraya M. Deen, MA @SoooMD]

@IrfRoundtable - Talking about public narratives and visual story telling. @PressClubDC Launching the FIRST Global Womens Movement for Religious Freedom @RNS @InterfaithWorld @usccrcc @FredDavieUSCIRF @OrdainWomen @tariqahmadbt @UK_FoRBEnvoy @anilaali @RFInstitute @sarojpathi