The page of the Religious Broadcasting Page will focus on how religion is
covered by the mass media. There is wide spread concern in many circles that the
subject of religion is often not covered well by mass media. The inadequacies
sometime involve failure to cover developments and events that deserve coverage.
There is also concern that some coverage lacks objectivity and balance. This
concern is not limited to those who are the subject of mass media coverage. It
is increasingly shared by many print and broadcast journalists, and there is a
growing body of literature bearing testimony to this concern.
This page will seek to assemble information that is relevant to the broad
question of how religion is covered in the media. We have no specific agenda
or time table for accumulating
materials. We welcome your suggests and would especially appreciate having
our attention called to materials on the Internet that address this subject.
Our modest beginning of this page consists of links to two important
publications of The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt
University which address the issues of media coverage from the perspective of
journalists. The first is entitled Bridging the Gap: Religion and the
News Media co-authored by John Dart, a distinguished religion writer
for the Los Angeles Times since 1967 and Jimmy R. Allen, long time
head of the Southern Baptist Radio and Television Commission, founder of
the American Christian Television System (ACTS), and past president of the
Southern Baptist Convention. The second entitled Deities and Deadlines,
also written by John Dart, is a practical primer for journalists who find
themselves with the assignment of covering religion. Both of these publications
are available on line at the Freedom
Forum web site.
- Bridging the Gap:
Religions and the News Media
- This volume discusses the "sea of suspicion" that often exists between
journalists and the religious organizations and people they cover. It is
an engaging report that identifies areas of agreement between journalists
as well as the fault lines that cause problems. It concludes with recommendations
for "bridging the gap." The full volume can be downloaded on Adobe Acrobat
Highly recommended.
- Deities and
Deadlines
- This is a more nuts and bolts primer for journalists who cover religion.
It offers an overview of the beat, information about basic resources, and
thoughtful personal and professional considerations. An important resources
for journalists.
