…writing about people and organizations
How is “religious journalism” different from, say, political journalism? And in general, are they different from each other? Yes and no.
Of course, a journalist writing on religious issues must adhere to the same professional rules and canons, the same ethics as his colleagues who specialize in reporting on other areas of life. And he must know his subject, must understand what he is writing about. In this sense, of course, there are no differences.
But inaccuracies and mistakes that a journalist who writes about religion – or on topics related to religion – may unknowingly make can offend groups of people. And those groups can be large, even very large. That is, special sensitivity is required of the journalist so as not to hurt the feelings of believers, for whom what they believe in may be more important than life itself.
And you have to understand that writing about religion means, in the first place, writing about people.
Naturally, those people who believe in the existence of a higher being who governs human lives and the fate of the world. Most often, it is a supreme being or a whole host of such beings.
But people believe in different ways, with different names for these higher powers or beings. Moreover, these forces and beings are endowed with different properties and qualities, they “evaluate” the actions of people in different ways and, accordingly, treat them differently.
…write about the past, present and future
If we look at the situation from a slightly different angle, we find that when a journalist writes about problems and phenomena related to the sphere of religion, he tells about the present day, about what happens to believers or their organizations. After all, religion and belonging to this or that denomination became for many the most important part of their identity after the fall of the Soviet Union, where religion existed under considerable pressure from the authorities.
Religiosity, even if it is expressed in the simple performance of rituals, has come to play a serious role for millions of people who believe in different ways and in different gods. And today, for many, religious affiliation is more important than ethnic affiliation. That is, belonging to a particular religion may be more important to them than their nationality. And for some, nationality is like belonging to a certain religious current.
But we must also understand that a journalist who addresses the problems of faith must write not only about the present, but also about the past, that is, about traditions – because religion practically does not exist without traditions. Even modern, so-called new religious movements try to base their beliefs on already existing customs, values and notions.
And the future? Yes, religion is also related to the future. And not just when a journalist writes about the future of this or that religious organization. After all, faith touches on the deepest and most important issues of life and death for every human being.