As it is seen in almost all major newspapers today, the topic of religion is discussed frequently. It seems that more now than ever, newspapers across the United States are discussing and criticizing the role that religion plays in American society. There is a common theme occurring in newspapers whenever religion of any kind is discussed; that is of religion being represented in a political and group-oriented way. There is no longer the mention of any kind of individualism as associated with religion. Whatever happened to religion being a personal experience? No longer does society, at least through the media’s lens, see religion as a personal and private matter. It is now simply seen as a means to political power or control. I think that this increasingly common view in newspapers often misrepresents religion as well as falsely accuses it of manipulating the people who choose to follow it.
The most prevalent view of religion as portrayed in the media, specifically newspapers, today is that of religion as strictly a political view. It is very common to come upon articles in which religion is talked about in a detached and insensitive way. Religion is not seen as sacred to many people any longer. Instead, newspapers commonly refer to religion as the reason behind political decisions and views in America, and across the world. Stanley Fish recently wrote an article for the New York Times entitled “Religion and the Liberal State Once Again.” In it, he comments: “When the liberal citizen exits the private realm and enters the public square, he or she is supposed to leave religious commitments behind and function as a stripped-down entity, as an abstract-not-full personage, who makes political decisions not as a Jew or a Christian or a Muslim but as what political scientist Michael Sandel calls an “unencumbered self,” a self unencumbered by ethnic, racial, gender, class or religious identities” (Fish). What Fish fails to realize is that religion, whatever faith a person believes in, is not something that can simply be turned on and off. One’s faith becomes a part of them; a part of them that helps make decisions between what is right and wrong, which essentially is what politics deals with. How can an individual be expected to totally disregard such a valuable part of themselves? In The Journal of Media and Religion, Charles Overby, head of the freedom forum says on ChristianityToday.com:
“The tendency of newspapers is to look at the quirky aspects of religion. The truth is
many readers are just looking for mainstream coverage. … That’s not church
bulletin coverage, but it is recognizing that faith is an important part in many lives” (Vultee, Velker, and Craft).
This sums up exactly what the public sees through current newspaper coverage of religion. Newspapers present religion in a mainstream, modern sense, totally disregarding the meaning and significance religion brings into many people’s lives. It is time for the media to no longer talk about religion as small, insignificant part in some people’s lives and start acknowledging the influence it has on so many’s everyday lives.
Another view taken by the media very frequently is that of religion being manipulative or just a “dominant ideology.” Newspapers often refer to religion as a controlling device used to manipulate people’s thoughts, beliefs, and opinions for thousands of years. In an article by The International Humanist and Ethical Union, a very disturbing view of religion is presented:
“Religion is one of the main ingredients of the dominant ideology. Religion belongs to the political realm as the British monarchy, the Labour or Conservative parties do. Moreover there is a great deal of money involved. Religious institutions have a great deal of wealth at their disposal and constantly struggle to get their hands on more” (Portrayal of Religion in the Media: Religion is Political).
This quote embodies the tone that is behind many newspaper articles concerning faith of any kind. It is slightly disturbing that the tendency in the current American society is to believe that the religions are completely corrupt. No longer is religion regarded as something sacred, even though America as a country has deep roots in religion. The Constitution even guarantees religious freedom to all who come into the country. The first people who came to America, the pilgrims, came for the very purpose of establishing a society that was free to worship as it pleased. What a dramatic change in ideas. Religion’s role in America has always been a strong one until recent years. America’s society now has the tendency through the media to disregard all of it’s citizen who still consider religion to be a strong part of their lives. Stanley Fish, in his same article for the New York Times, even goes as far to say that “the liberal state is incapable of doing anything with them (religious believers) except regard them, as many of the posters do, as fanatical, medieval, crazy, dictatorial and downright dangerous” (Fish).Where has the respect gone for those who are devoted to a certain religion? For a country that is supposed to be the most tolerant of different religions, American’s media becomes increasingly more critical and down-right insulting.
The media, especially daily newspapers, play a huge role in influencing and informing the American public. One in four Americans between the ages of 18-29 say that they are not affiliated with any religion (Statistics on American Religion Report). I think that part of this stunning statistic can be attributed to the strong voice of the media when concerning religion. Religion is now simply viewed as an aspect of politics and manipulates the believers that follow it. Daily newspapers constantly criticize religion, I think unfairly. Very rarely are there pieces in major newspapers that show the good aspects of believing in a religion. With so much criticism in America’s daily media, down-playing the importance of religion in people’s daily lives, it is no wonder that the country is becoming increasingly more opposed to religion all together.
Works Cited
"Statistics on Religion in America Report -- Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life." Religion in American Culture -- Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The Pew Forum, 2007. Web. 18 Nov. 2010.
"Portrayal of Religion in the Media: Religion Is Political International Humanist and Ethical Union." International Humanist and Ethical Union The World Union of Humanist Organizations. 28 May 2008. Web. 18 Nov. 2010.
Fish, By Stanley. "Religion and the Liberal State Once Again - NYTimes.com." Opinion - Opinionator Blog - NYTimes.com. New York Times, 1 Nov. 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2010.
Vultee, Fredrick, Matthew Velker, and Stepanie Craft. "Faith and Values: Journalism and the Critique of Religion Coverage of the 1990s." Journal of Media and Religion 9.3 (2010): 1-27. Print
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