Practicing religion is as popular as ever. According to The Guardian magazine, 84% of the world population relate themselves to a certain religious group. Religion helps people to overcome all kinds of adversities in business, sports, or everyday life.
People from various quarters of society have religious beliefs. Usually, the beliefs are quite different. That is why the question of religion is so complex. Religion writers need to cover each controversial topic with full immersion, a complete understanding of all aspects, and consideration of the readers’ feelings.
In this day and age, it’s an extremely complex task to find information that is 100% true. Sometimes it takes hours of rifling through countless articles to find a reliable source. We suggest you stop wasting your time on tedious labor and check out our one-stop information portal for writing true religion articles.
Here, journalists can find everything they need, from religious terms and current news on religion to tips for writing on more sophisticated topics such as homosexuality and abortion.
About Religion News Association
The Religion News Association (RNA) was founded by 12 religion journalists back in 1949. The original idea behind RNA was to cover a denominational meeting of Presbyterians. By 2007, RNA grew to an organization with 570 members and subscribers, two-thirds of whom work as journalists.
Nowadays, RNA helps journalists worldwide to cover religion by providing training and various tools such as this information portal. It exists to improve the understanding of religion amongst journalists and the public. Over 7,000 professional journalists use the platform as a source of information on religion on a weekly basis.
RNA and its Foundation provide plenty of useful resources for religion beat writers. All of the services are free. However, some resources will require you to become a member of the association to access them. Here is the list of the main resources:
- The Religion Stylebook;
- ReligionLink;
- Reporting on Religion: A Primer on Journalism’s Best Beat;
- Religion News Service;
- The RNA Annual Conference.
Mission
The mission of the organization is to guide journalists so that they have a reliable source to refer to, write true religion articles, and ask informed questions during interviews.
It has over 70 years of experience studying and providing solutions to the issues that pertain to religion. Most of the received money (87 cents of every dollar) goes into the development of resources. In the last decade alone, the organization allocated $6 million on initiatives that support the understanding of religion amongst the journalist community. Those initiatives include projects like mentoring, contests for religion reporting, and annual conferences.
All services can be seen as a connecting link between hundreds of scholars and journalists worldwide. Here, you will find scholars who possess in-depth knowledge about religion and its relationship to science, politics, education, health, etc.
What You Will Find in the Stylebook
In its Religion Stylebook, the RNA addresses the most common style-related concerns that exist today. It contains:
- entries on religion terms that are not included in The Associated Press Stylebook (The portal generally follows AP style but includes many terms it does not cover);
- entries on the major denominations, religions, and religious organizations that journalists encounter in daily reporting;
- accurate titles for religious leaders in different traditions;
- usage guidelines for religious terms, definitions, preferred spellings, and capitalizations;
- pronunciation guides;
- entries on terms used in the news on current topics such as abortion, homosexuality, and state/church issues.
Main Religion Journalists Principles
We’ve defined three chief principles that every religion journalist must follow.
Integrity and Ethical Accountability
A lot of people listen to journalists and take their views of a certain matter as standards. That is why journalists must maintain the highest professional and ethical standards. Every journalist is accountable for what they say, so they should eliminate all the personal issues concerning the subject and display the truth. The public is within its right to know the truth, and journalists have to deliver it.
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of the press, freedom of information, and freedom of speech form the core of any democracy. An unbiased, free media is a major power in strengthening and developing functional democratic systems. It ensures transparency in a robust and open democratic society.
Eradication of Religious Discrimination and Incitement
Journalists serve as watchdogs to protect religious fundamentals. They do not engender or fuel discrimination based on cultural traditions, religion, or ethnicity. They recognize and respect minority rights and social diversity.
Religion journalists avoid religious stereotyping and discriminatory references to spiritual values or religious beliefs. Journalists go up against any display of hatred based on religion. They avoid engendering hostility toward religions and their members that is likely to lead to systematic deprivation of human rights or violence.
Most Useful Religion Terms
Here are some of the terms that you might not be aware of or have a vague understanding of:
- Secular — worldly, not sacred. The meaning is similar to profane, but refers to anything that is not specifically religious.
- Hinduism — a set of beliefs and practices found mainly in India. It includes a belief in reincarnation and the transmigration of souls.
- Agnosticism — a philosophical position based on the fact that the existence or non-existence of God or a First Cause is unknowable.
- Eschatology — the study of matters regarding the ultimate destiny and final judgement.
- Ecclesiastic — a member of the church.
- Polytheism — belief in the fact that more than one god exists.
- Monotheism — belief that there is only one God.
- Gospel — the story of Christ’s life and teachings as told in the first four books of the Christian New Testament. The literal meaning of the word is “good news.”
FAQ By Religionwriters
On our website, you will find answers to questions like:
How can I interview and write about religions I don’t believe in?
Any religion writer should aim for objectivity and fairness. Instead of focusing on how the beliefs of a person you interview contradict with yours, focus on what those beliefs mean to them and their life.
Why should the secular media cover religion?
Religion plays a crucial role in everything that is going on in the world. It’s also been one of the driving forces of heroism throughout human history. If we take a look at politics, the religious beliefs of candidates often determine for whom people are most likely to vote.
When do you reveal your religion to sources?
There are situations when writers can share their personal religious beliefs. For the most part, it’s a writer’s choice to reveal their religion, and nobody can force them to do so.
There are dozens of other questions that you can find answers to on our website. If you have an issue concerning religion and need a straight answer, Religionwriters will be more than pleased to help.
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