The Journalist and Faith

Journalist should really reconsider thinking about putting their personal opinions in an article on a topic of a particular sect of faith, because the article may have information that is skewed due to the journalists personal believes that are against another religion or faith. One must remember as a journalist it is not our opinion the people wants to hear, but the the truth with factual evidence backing up one's claim.

Some may believe that our personal faith can have evidence of affecting the way a journalist reports his or her story on religion. Whatever an individual might do is some form determined by his or her religion. As a Latter-day Saint, my actions and choices are influenced by my standards and values as being LDS. I want to choose the right in all my choices that I make, and most of all I want to do what our Heavenly Father wants me to do. I think it is true that religion can affect a person's point of view when telling a story of a religion different than their own. Thus, it is important when writing a story of another religion to start with an open mind, that you are here to write this story to let the audience know the truth about the religion.

It was interesting in the presentation that a lot of Americans are taught popular knowledge through the news. If this is the case, then I think we have a responsibility to not take sides in any story, but to report all sides of a story. For example, if a journalist is assigned to write an article on a Jewish rabbi who was caught stealing, you wouldn't want to go about interviewing people who hate the Jewish faith, but maybe someone who is apart of the faith who might of known the rabbi.

I think it is true that there are more articles about religion within the text relating to someone who is apart of a particular faith than articles based primarily on a specific faith it just doesn't happened as much in the media. Society tends to relate others based off of religious affiliates nowadays.

The quote: "Journalism and religion is a tough mix. Religion depends on faith, and journalism demands proof." This is a great quote, because when journalist write about religion it is just something that one must really be careful when writing or reporting in the media. Another tip may be when writing about religion maybe it is best to write as one in that particular faith, study and learn the doctrine interviewing people of the faith, that can give a better insight of what the religion really practices and teach its members. I have found that this is true, especially when the media portrays Mormons as just polygamist which is not true of course and our church get the blame for it. For example, my mom is a school teacher in Dallas, and some of the faculty at the school came up and ask her if she was apart of the Mormon church in south Texas with all the polygamist. She had to clarify and let them know our church has nothing to do with the polygamist in south Texas.

Again as a journalist, I think it is crucial that we don't sell short a religion of what they truly believe and practice. If someone wrote in an article that the Mormon's baptize the dead, what would the people think? Probably not good things, so it is important to give all the details and information to the people. In the LDS Church, they performs baptisms for the dead so the deceased can have an opportunity to be baptized in the Lords church and to receive the Holy Ghost according to their believes. Of course that would not be in the media hopefully, but my point is to not leave out information that may hurt any faith's name in society. It just is not ethical for the journalist to make his or her claim on what religion is right or wrong.


Video's of Religion in the Media: