Religion and Journalism

The issue of religion being very prominent in journalism has been something on the minds of many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the last 10 years. Between Proposition 8 in California and the Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns, the church has been put in the spotlight thanks to journalists and media everywhere. The media coverage that has been surrounding the church has been both positive and negative. I think that it is very important that we as journalists in the making learn lessons from the ways we’ve seen our church covered and how religion comes into play in the journalism world so we can be prepared to handle it when we need to. 

It can seem at times that all aspects of the secular world might not align with religious ideas. Here is an article that addresses that very topic: http://www.scu.edu/ethics-center/ethicsblog/atthecenter.cfm?c=14207

I found one part of the student presentation in particular to be helpful in helping me understand where journalism and religion meet. First of all, religion is based on beliefs, and journalists are in tune with their beliefs when choosing stories to cover. Although journalists should not let beliefs bias their coverage, they are still important to have. Another connection is the importance of truth. Truth is the foundation of journalism as well as religion. 

Another interesting concept is what journalists are to do about writing about religion. In my opinion, and I think the opinion of many others, a good background on a wide variety of religions is important so the most truthful and accurate representation of a religion can be covered. Here’s an article that talks further on the subject: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/getreligion/2011/10/a-religious-journalist-on-religion-journalism/