JOunralism and Faith

In religion and journalism, both sectors seek to bring the truth to those who follow it. Truth is what makes religion the determining factor into how we think, feel, etc. As I have come to realize, although truth is critical in the work of a journalist, it can be extremely difficult to do so. Writing any type of story is extremely difficult to do without some type of opinion (whether intended or not) to jump in. As journalists, we seek to eliminate the bias of our work as much as possible. When it deals with reporting on faith, it may be better to have someone involved a knowledgeable about the faith relaying the messages so that the story is not left up to someone else.
Sometimes news organizations loosely affiliated with a religion may receive criticism for backing and supporting religious views or religious figures through news stories. Such as is the case with a preview of a talk given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles talk on constitutional matters. The story was originally produced by the Associated Press and presented the church in unfavorable circumstances. Some may view that outside sources are the best to uncover and present the most truth. However, as one blogger points out, (http://www.nothingwavering.org/post/15804/2009-10-16/conservative-cranks-paranoia-of-medias-anti-mormon-bias-is-validated.html) when it comes to religion, some news organizations may look to tear down churches; even if they spread falsities and information that is far from the truth. As untruthful information is spread by the media, it can have a harmful impact as we know that the public will often believe a great deal of what they see, read, or hear.
In journalism we interview people that have something to do with the story so they can give us their version and side of it. In good journalism, journalists should also share the views of the opposite side of the story. I am not completely familiar with how the writings are displayed with other religions, but I do know that with the LDS faith, the media often turns to those that have left the church or have the agenda to harm the church’s reputation. As religion is a soft spot for a great number of people, they want to see their religion displayed in a good light. So perhaps it may be best for religious journalism to be covered in a way that the followers of the faith feel is accurate. This can be difficult as, “Readers often inundate religion reporters with e-mail complaints and comments about religion news stories. It's not just Mormon readers who are touchy about how journalists cover their faith,” (http://www.truthandgrace.com/mormonslander.htm).
As religion often brings up a great deal of debate and questioning of who is correct or how something should be portrayed, there is a just a need for it to be presented fairly. It was interesting to see local sports anchor Tom Kirkland’s response to a national article about Jimmer Fredette that mentioned his religion. Kirkland mentioned that he is not LDS which eliminated his bias, but wanted the story of this great basketball player presented fairly (http://www.ksl.com/?sid=14900731&nid=966). With religion, the same thing needs to happen. Opposition may arise and there may be challenges but there is a need for information to be presented fairly.