Writing on religion in the digital age
| There is no more challenging – or rewarding – part of religion journalism than reporting on religious conflict. Get it right, and you contribute to national and global understanding that can lead to informed, peaceful resolutions. Get it wrong, and we can be the source of further conflict.
In the end, holding on to the basic principles of excellence in journalism will be the way to build a credible, respected voice readers can trust.
As we start this journey, let us begin by discussing some issues in religion journalism that are universal across all media, from blogging to newspaper and television reporting. How we handle these issues provide the foundation for reporting on global religious conflict that contributes to the public good.
Ethics: There are powerful incentives in the new media world to build an audience by tailoring reporting to meet the biases of target audiences or specific advertisers. The fear in competing among so many voices on the Web, in print and in the elctronic media is that viewers will go elsewhere if you offer news that challenges their beliefs and assumptions. Difficult economic times in an industry in transition also increase pressure on journalists not to rock the boat.
Yet it is precisely our ability to resist these temptations and provide credible, accurate reporting on controversial issues vital to our ability to live together in a civil society that enables us to be trusted by all. More than ever, we need each other’s counsel and support to be true to our profession and ourselves.
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| Coverage of majority and minority faiths: Fair and accurate reporting on minority faiths is critical for the ability of nations and the world to live together in peace.
Historical tensions, popular prejudice, ignorance, fear of immigrants, all work against the depiction of minority faiths. Many editors and reporters do not give it much thought; others, especially in nations where religious tension leads to conflict, often would like to ignore the issue. But understanding these obstacles to excellence in journalism is necessary to overcoming them.
Language: Our choice of descriptive terms matters. Is it appropriate to use the word “martyr” when referring to an individual who has committed a violent act against innocents? Is it fair to casually associate one faith with violence by use of the term “Islamic terrorist” instead of describing the group responsible for the action? Is it then a matter of fairness to use the terms “Christian terrorist” or “Hindu terrorist” when a member of that faith commits an act of violence in the name of religion?
It is particularly important to consider how national and cultural prejudices make a difference in these decisions. Minority faiths are particularly vulnerable. |
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| Complexity: Twitter, Facebook, blogging and many other forms of new media often stress grabbing reader‘s attention with shorter writing forms. Yet context is particularly important with a subject as important and potentially volatile as religion.
Religion is only one of many factors influencing the lives of individuals and the development of public policy. It is as important for the religion writer to understand the economic, political, historical and cultural background of issues as it is for other reporters to comprehend the role of religion.
Particular caution is required to avoid simple categories of good and evil. Issues from conflict in the Sudan to the sexual abuse of children by church leaders need to be reported in context. In the end, unbalanced reporting tends to prolong conflict, and undermine trust and understanding that can lead to change |
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| Religion vs. religious journalism: One need not be of a particular faith or of any faith to report on religion. Yet journalists need to respect and understand the place religion has in in the minds and hearts of many of their readers. The privilege encouraged in the new media of having a personal style or “voice” should not be a license to abandon principles of fairness and honesty.
We must exercise care to accurately report on religious beliefs and practices, and to resist judging or denigrating the faith of others by imposing our personal secular or religious beliefs in our reporting.
This is particularly important in reporting on religious conflict, where partisans often expect reporters to take their side. Political and cultural pressures from members of the majority faith can make our jobs even more difficult. But if we are the one voice all people can count on for unbiased reporting, our work becomes even more vital to our country and the world.
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| Finally, there are no simple answers to any of these issues. We all live in the real world, where government restrictions, commercial concerns and threats to our personal safety often compete with professional ideals.
What we need to realize if we are honest with ourselves is that we all face challenges to excellence in religion journalism. We all bring personal limitations, economic and professional fears and cultural biases that can affect the quality of our work.
It is in that spirit of openness to learning from one another that we begin our dialogue |
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