A very controversial topic to some... Where does Religion fit in with journalism? This was the topic of the most recent group presentation in class. The idea I found most interesting was the idea that it is a tough mix, to mix religion and journalism because people are wanting facts based on proof, not based on faith. Because everyone has a different idea of what religion is and what is true and what is not... religion is a sticky subject and journalism needs to be based in truth and based on facts, such as scientific evidence. The problem a journalists faces is when a journalist is reporting on a story and needs to sort out the truth from their faith. It can be hard to do but a journalist needs to know how to do this and how to do it well. There are not as many religious stories in the news today because of controversies about religion. It was reported that the top religion store in 2007 was on the presidential election between a baptist preacher and a devout Mormon. Also recent stories have been done on polygamy, but even these stories have had controversies surrounding them.
Here is some recent news:
Some celebrities stop using twitter to raise funds for a charity:
http://bit.ly/gu5q2L
Social media goes red for World AIDS Day:
http://bit.ly/g2GAaQ
I think that no matter what, reporting on beliefs will cause controversy. Say a Mormon was to report on Prop 8, it would cause controversy. Say a non-Mormon was to report on Prop 8, it would still cause controversy. While I know this is creeping into the realm of independence in journalism I think it is important for us to realize that humans, by nature, are extremely opinionated and passionate when it comes to religion or the lack thereof. There will never be someone who is completely fit to report on religion but it doesn't mean we should leave any religious news out of the news. Sure the most controversy will surround these stories but since when do we shy away from reporting due to potential controversy? I believe that is is our obligation as journalists to report on everything, telling the total truth, and keeping everything in proportion. I really like what you said about sorting out our beliefs from the facts. We need to say to ourselves "would I be saying this even if I wasn't a Mormon? Am I subliminally spreading my own ideas?" If we are honest with ourselves and our audience, the reporting possibilities are endless.
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