|
|
|
 |
|
Balance. Accuracy. Insight. IN
THIS ISSUE:
Newsroom budgets are shrinking. But the need for training is greater now than ever. Religion is one of the essential knowledge areas. Just take a look at the news in the past few weeks:
And that’s only a partial list. Journalists need to know the right questions to ask. Your donation to the Religion Newswriters Scholarship Fund ensures access to essential information. A contribution of $75 or more means more news professionals can attend the Religion Newswriters Annual Conference, the only gathering in the country focusing on this complex subject. Religion Newswriters is conducting a special campaign to raise funds for our scholarship program. Our board has set a goal of $7,500 by mid-summer. So far, 29 donors have contributed $2,500. As Abe Levy of the San Antonio Express-News wrote us: “I can easily point to that RNA conference for vaulting my religion reporting career to a new level. It helped me focus on priorities, cultivate more sophisticated sources and broadened my overall knowledge of the beat.” Click here to help Abe and his peers throughout the country stay informed.
Journalists who will travel there to cover the Olympics (and those who will cover reaction from home) need to know more than how to cover athletes. They need information about Chinese culture and religion—vital background to help them understand the politics brewing around the world. The Henry Luce Foundation is providing funds for a seminar, “China & the Olympics: Covering Religion & Human Rights,” May 14 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Debra Mason, Religion Newswriters Executive Director, is urging journalist to register for this seminar. “As China’s global influence increases, journalists need as much preparation as possible to cover the issues that arise,” she said. Support for organizations such as Religion Newswriters is growing more vital every year. “International relationships will get more complex as the century moves forward,” said Mason. “Excellent journalism already requires a high degree of sophistication. We enjoy providing the education to help news professionals get there. And we are grateful that foundations like Luce and donors like you are there to provide the steam.” More information on the China seminar, including a schedule and registration instructions, is available online: To donate to Religion Newswriters, click here.
Muslims span the globe and have diverse political affiliations. But their religion is one of the most challenging to understand. Reporting on Islam in the U.S. and abroad requires understanding complex relationships that help put facts in perspective. Thanks to funding from the McCormick Foundation, Religion Newswriters presented on online seminar filling this gap. Nearly 80 journalists registered for our second Webinar about Islam, held April 22. Because of McCormick’s support, we were able to offer this session free to journalists. Few organizations provide free training. The Web-based seminar, “Understanding Islam & Politics,” provided background on major geopolitical developments, religious leaders and research on the opinions and political involvements of Muslims in the United States and abroad. In tandem with the online session, Religion Newswriters produced an online resource through ReligionLink, providing source materials and background for journalists as they write about the topic. Presenter Mona Eltahawy, an award-winning New York-based journalist and commentator, spoke about assumptions and trends. She urged reporters to seek average Muslims for stories and information, instead of concentrating only on political leaders. Associate Religious Studies Professor Juan E. Campo the University of California at Santa Barbara, gave an overview of movements and sects within the world’s second largest and fast growing faith. Freelance journalist and Religionwriter.com blogger Andrea Useem moderated the 75-minute discussion, which included a Q&A. Two more sessions are planned, “The Role of Religion in Conflict Prevention & Peacemaking” and “Freedom of Religion in the Military.” More information is available on RNA's website: http://www.rna.org/webinars.php.
Beatrice Marovich was looking for a way to write about Easter celebrations for readers of the Journal Tribune in Biddleford, Maine. She found it in ReligionLink, reporters’ No. 1 favorite religion resource. The following is from her letter applying for one of Religion Newswriters’ seminars. “Until I became newspaper reporter who covered religion, I’d never been to an Easter Sunday service. I had no idea what the experience of millions of Americans who revel in this moment of the year was like. “But on Saturday before Easter (2007) dawned, my awareness was expanded…I arrived at the Greek Orthodox church in Saco, Maine, when it was pitch-black and bitterly cold outside. I took in the aroma of sweet incense, shaking myself every time I almost fell asleep. I stayed until 2 a.m. I drove home and went to sleep for less than two hours and dragged myself out of bed at 4:30 for a Baptist sunrise service on the beach. “It was an intense assignment — one that generated a lot of positive feedback…That idea (to attend various services at different times) actually came from one of the ReligionLink e-mails that I wait for with anticipation.” “When it comes to religious education, I’m a novice…Ever since I came in to work one morning and found an RNA brochure on my desk, the organization has been a valuable resource in my professional life. It gives me encouragement that I may be able to tap into more (resources) than I think. "I’ve been waiting for the annual conference to come around again…It’s my best hope to learn how to cover religion in a more comprehensive and thought-provoking manner. It’s an opportunity to meet highly skilled writers who are already doing this well. It’s a chance to absorb the story ideas of others, and to find the inspiration to generate my own. “And my readers will have a richer year of reporting to absorb as well.” Journalists like Marovich depend on your support to afford our indispensable annual conference. Be part of the effort to inform readers about religion. Make a donation to support Religion Newswriters’ scholarship fund.
|
Printer Friendly
Email
 |
This program 
