Religion and Journalism

Jill Sutherlin

Philosophy of Journalism-Midterm Essay

Dr. Tarpley

Religion in Professional Journalism

In a world where there is such a low tolerance for religious expression to public eye, it is no wonder why religion and journalism have a difficult time coexisting with one another. Journalists either have the option to seperate their profession from their faith or risk the criticisim and rejection from society if they choose to incorporate both. Such an overwhelming tension and intolerance can only be understood by analyzing the professional world and then comparing it to philosophical and spiritual. In an effort to explain the reasons for this tension, I believe that the solution of negotiating Christianity with journalism will be that much closer to find.

Just as conservatives veer away from news that has been “liberally tainted,” people of different faiths and cultures tend to do the same. Most journalists recognize this and make an effort to be as straight-forward and unbiased as they possibly can so as not to offend any party. This is especially true for amature journalists. They come fresh out of secular universities where they learn how to be ethical and even virtuous, but their educations stop short of recommending any religious crusade in journalism. On the other side of the spectrum however, after Christian journalists graduate into the professionaly working world with their education in one hand and their firm set of beliefs in another, they are hit with a rude awakening between religious freedom and the newsroom. And although it is an unspoken matter, it is a very real element for them as a professional.

While the duty of a journalist is to gather important and accurate information and feed it to the world, God holds that same obligation to that of a believer working in the profession, “to be a light unto the world so that all may see God’s grace.” Obviously, it is naive to think that one can maximize their work and faith while juggling both to the fullest extent, but it should be the goal and priority for each journalist as an individual to try and find that medium within their own careers.

In today’s society, being politically correct supercedes any moral obligation that one might have when in the newsroom-- ethics come second. Interestingly enough, however, the newsroom in itself could be considered a nest of believers if we include believers in journalism. Because although any hint of religion, and especially