Description
This study examines the local media's coverage of Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society (UBTS) at Lomaland in San Diego, California in the early to mid twentieth century. The San Diego coverage of Lomaland did not follow the same pattern of negative portrayals that previous studies of media representations have emphasized in their own conclusions, including studies that have cited Lomaland as an example of when negative media reactions to Alternative Religious Movements has occurred. The newspapers in San Diego highlighted the positive impacts that the UBTS brought to the community, and even defended the UBTS in times of legal controversy. This study is located at the crossroads of three important academic fields of study: the history of religious movements in North America, the history of media representations of alternative religious movements (ARM), and theoretical constructs for examining the impact and influence of the media. This paper draws from the field of media theory in order to consult a framework through which the content and impact of the media coverage of the UBTS can be viewed. Lomaland represents a case study through which we can understand not only the history and impact of ARMs in the United States, but also a history of the demonization of ARMs by mainstream media, and a deeper look into what shapes those experiences and interactions.
