When Fred Barnes was a member of the national press corps in
Washington, D.C., 20 years ago, he was not the only Christian reporter -- but
he was one of a small handful.
And the national media today remain pretty much a secular body, largely
ignorant about matters of faith, The Weekly Standard editor and Fox News
commentator told a University of Rochester audience Wednesday. Most of them
know a little more today about Islam, I think, than Christianity.
A group of national journalists convened at UR for a panel discussion on press
coverage of religion. The impetus was research done by a class of UR religion
majors on how newspapers deal with faith.
The study, Religion in American Newspapers, had students reading
12 metropolitan or national newspapers, including the Democrat and Chronicle,
daily from Feb. 3 to March 2. The students combed through every story for any
mention of spirituality. Co-teaching the course were UR Dean of the College
William Scott Green and Curt Smith, a former presidential speechwriter, now a
senior lecturer at UR.
The report indicates that there is generally broader coverage of religion today
than there was eight years ago, when UR did a similar study. But that coverage
lacks depth and context and often focuses on negatives, according to the latest
study.
Religion is an important factor in American life, but it’s something that in
the press we often feel uncomfortable about, acknowledged Michael Barone, U.S.
News & World Report writer and Fox News commentator.
It’s not surprising that the press doesn’t do a good job covering the broad
notion of faith and the religious lives and beliefs of readers, said Susan Lee,
Wall Street Journal editorial board member. Newspapers are about news. The
best we can do is report that news in the most objective way possible. It’s not
our job to do ideas.
A large chunk of the study and much of the discussion revolved around reporting
on the recent scandal in the Catholic Church and on terrorist acts committed by
Muslims.
We don’t want to offend people, Barone said. But at the same time, we do
have to develop some labels. And much of the terrorism in and from the Arab
world has a religious basis, he said.
Other panelists included Karen Magnuson, editor of the Democrat and Chronicle,
Walter Shapiro of USA Today, Juan Williams of National Public Radio and John
Zogby of Zogby International.