Can the Media do a Better Job at Covering Religion? - BCNN1

Is the media's coverage of religion too sensationalized?

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Most of the public thinks so, according to a survey released this spring by the Knight Program in Media and Religion at USC's Annenberg School of Communication and the University of Akron's Roy C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics. The poll found that two-thirds of respondents think that religion coverage is too sensationalized. By contrast, only a third of reporters see it that way.

This week's question may seem like I'm a bit of a masochist. But actually it is an important one for journalists to think through as we deal with matters of faith.

I was struck by the finding in the survey that a quarter of respondents are "very interested" in coverage about religion. But they want more textured and nuanced reporting. For example, they are interested in understanding spiritual practices as well as how faith impacts lives.

I was also struck by this finding, as USC's Diane Winston put it: A majority of both the public and reporters agree the news media "does a poor job of explaining religion in society," with 57.1 percent and 51.8 percent agreeing, respectively.

So, here's my question for this week:

How do you think the media could better explain the role of religion in society?

The answer is important for both consumers of news and those who report the news and interpret it.

JOE CLIFFORD, Head of Staff and Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church of Dallas

One of the reasons I love being part of Texas Faith is that it offers thoughtful reflections of mainstream religious leaders. Unfortunately, it also has a limited following with only the edited contributions of two or three panelists published next to the obituaries in the bowels of the Metro section each Saturday.

What makes the front page? Stories about pastors taking bribes from candidates for political office, comments by religious leaders labeling other world religions as evil, or rants about teaching creationism in public schools.

Rants of radicals and unveiling of scandals make for much more exciting news. Thoughtful reflections by well-ducated contributors pale in comparison.

Ultimately the media is a for-profit endeavor. It generates what the public will buy and what advertisers will pay to be part of. The end of the Dallas Morning News' award-inning Religion section testified to this reality.

Unfortunately, that's the way things work in a world defined by the market. It's not the media's fault, they only publish what we will consume. Too often we prefer junk food.

SOURCE: The Dallas Morning News

William McKenzie

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