Why Should the Media Cover Religion? Arthur Kent Keynote

Photo credit: Ken Regan, Camera 5

Award-winning journalist, filmmaker and author Arthur Kent will answer this important question at the Centre’s national conference, this month, May 26-28 at Carleton University in Ottawa. The conference, “How the Secular Media Cover Religious Pluralism” will address a range of issues from the future of the religion beat, to how the press covers sharia law, the Middles East conflict, evangelicals, same-sex marriage, and Canada’s religious diversity. Don’t miss this conference! REGISTER NOW

Headline Religion Story of the Week

Anglicans Put a Hold on Same Sex Blessings Last Friday (April 29), Canada’s 40 Anglican bishops unanimously passed a resolution to put a two-year moratorium on church blessings of same-sex relationships to give church leaders time to study the issue. Primate Andrew Hutchison said the moratorium will have to be officially approved at the church’s Council of the General Synod, which is taking place May 6-8 in Mississauga.

 

Centre News

Where’s the “beef” in the news? In an Ipsos-Reid poll released last week, a full 42% of respondents said there was too much entertainment, and 38% wanted less sports reporting. A sizeable minority of 27% indicated there was not enough faith and religion reporting. The Centre for Faith and the Media took part in the poll, and the findings suggest that media consumers are tired of the for more substance. What are many Canadians looking for? More stories on the things that matter, like business and religion. “People are actually fed up with the dumbing down of the news, the focus on celebrities and trivia,” says Richelle Wiseman, executive director of the Centre for Faith and the Media. “In particular, the poll shows even younger audiences are seeking more in-depth content about important issues in life, and increasingly have to turn to the internet to find it.” For example, in British Columbia, a surprising 52% of respondents said there was too much entertainment in the nation’s media. See full news release at: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2005/28/c1887.html See full poll results at: www.faithandmedia.org, go to Centre News for links.

 

Tips for Journalists Covering Religion

Last week, 50,000 Sikhs in Toronto celebrated Khalsa Day, which marked the 306th anniversary of the founding of the order of Khalsa. The Sikh community hosted Prime Minister Paul Martin, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, and NDP’s Jack Layton, all of whom wore orange head coverings for the event. Sikhs are known for making major financial contributions to hospitals in Canada. Interview a local Sikh and find out why.

 

Kudos and Lemons

Kudos to the CBC National for superb coverage of the Pope’s death, the election of the new Pope, and for finding a range of voices from within the Catholic Church to discuss the issues the Church is facing worldwide, and here in Canada.

 

Calendar

Christianity - May 15 Pentecost Sunday (also known as Whitsunday in some western churches) marks the commemoration of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Jesus following his ascension (Acts 2:1-11.) In the western tradition it comes fifty days after Easter. Buddhism – May 23 Wesak is the most important day of the year for Buddhists. Arriving with the full moon, it marks the triple celebration of the Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment, and Final Demise. Baha’i Faith – May 29 Ascension of Bahá'u'll áh marks the anniversary of the death of the founder of the Bahá' í faith. Bahá'ís suspend work on this day.

 

About the Centre

The Centre for Faith and the Media is an independent, non-profit organization to inform, advise and help media and the general public achieve a stronger understanding of spiritual history, practices and values in Canadian society. The Centre provides non-partisan resources to journalists and the public to enable a more accurate and fair portrayal of faith in our midst. It conducts research, creates guides and other reference works, and operates an online site to enable broad access to information. The Centre is based in Calgary but has a national board of directors from academia, media and business. Its initial financing has been provided by Canadian Heritage, Department of Multiculturalism.

 

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