PEOPLE OF faith want to see the media recognize via news coverage that religious expression is a significant American trait. “They want to see religion mainstreamed in the newspaper,” said Stewart Hoover, a University of Colorado expert on religion in the news. When it comes to churches, however, the feelings are mixed, according to a pivotal 1989 study by Hoover. Like other institutions, church bodies want to maintain control over descriptions of their symbols and stories, yet many also desire the validation and credibility conferred by appearing in the news. But going public with their news and views runs the risk of misinterpretation by journalists. ...
How will religion be perceived in 21st-century America? Alliances have been shifting: For a time it was denomination vs. denomination. Now, on social-cultural issues, it’s conservative Catholic, evangelical, and Orthodox Jewish allies vs. various bedfellow liberals. Tomorrow, I believe, we will see “believers” (Christian, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, Hindu, New Age) vs. “non-believers” (atheists, agnostics, free thinkers, secularists, areligious) attracting news attention.
If religious literacy continues to slide, then editors and producers may feel that religion specialists are unnecessary. Religious nuances might seem irrelevant when all one needs to know is if a group’s members are believers or nonbelievers.
This is an excerpt of an article that originally appeared in the January-February 2001 issue of Sojourners. Read the full article here.
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