Posts tagged journalism
Crossroads Podcast: Tragedy, Faith And The Texas Floods

What do Texans want to find if they have the financial ability and the time to get away from that searing reality? To be blunt, they are looking for water, breezes, dry air and, yes, altitude. This brings us to the tragic headlines at the heart of this week’s “Crossroads” podcast.

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Bill Moyers Saw What Newsrooms Missed: Faith Still Matters

(ANALYSIS) Moyers died on June 26 at the age of 91, after a long and complex career in which he served as a speech writer and press secretary for President Lyndon B. Johnson, followed by decades of work with CBS, NBC and PBS. However, before that, the Rev. Bill Moyers was a Southern Baptist pastor in Texas towns like Brandon and Weir. He was proud of those roots and his convictions as a progressive Baptist.

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Bill Moyers’ Journalism Strengthened Democracy By Connecting Americans To Ideas And Each Other

Bill Moyers was arguably among the best reporters on the religion beat. Even if it wasn’t always the main focus of his work or what comes to mind for those familiar with his legacy, still, he was a lifelong spiritual seeker.

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Book Excerpt: ‘Saving Journalism: The Rise, Demise And Survival Of The News’

(EXCERPT) Could the flourishing history of journalism provide clues for enabling it to flourish in future? Why is society’s watchdog, the press, with its long and often honorable pedigree, going feral? Failing to bark at misrepresentation and fraud, while snarling at truth? Why does journalism have the privileged position it does?

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The Saint Of The Damned: Reading Hunter S. Thompson As Scripture

(ANALYSIS) Throughout his career, you see the outlines of a man burdened by the myth he helped build. A man who stared down America’s worst tendencies and tried to warn us, only to watch them metastasize. And in that exhaustion, there’s something quietly Christlike — not in purity, but in genuine suffering. 

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Crossroads Podcast: New Martyrs Spill Blood In The Ancient Church Of Antioch

It was just another bombing in a complicated corner of the Middle East, but this one was important — the Associated Press noted — because it had major political implications. In this week’s episode, we dig into what it all means.

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Crossroads Podcast: Why Journalists Want To Talk About Orthodoxy And Guys

All many journalists want to talk about is “the guys.” That focus on young males swimming the Bosphorus has created plenty of mainstream news reports. This week’s “Crossroads” podcast focused on a BBC feature with this headline: “Young US men are joining Russian churches promising 'absurd levels of manliness'.”

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A Trip Through ‘Flyover Country’ Reminds Me Of What’s Important

It’s always nice to reconnect with Warren Maye, a long-time EPA board member who runs the communications operation for the Salvation Army. And every time I see him, I remember how — long ago — the Salvation Army changed the trajectory of my family.

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Pope Leo XIV Says News Media Should Help Foster Peace

Only four days have passed since his election to the papacy, and Pope Leo XIV made it a point to hold an audience with the men and women who were in Rome to report on the death of Pope Francis, the conclave and the first days of his own ministry.

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Meet India’s Youngest Journalists: Living And Reporting From The Streets

Curated by street children, the Delhi-based Balaknama brings powerful stories about underprivileged children and their surroundings in several cities across India. These children have lived the hardships they write about, giving their journalism rare authenticity and depth. Through Balaknama, they now have a platform to voice their issues and challenges.

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⛪️ ‘The Pope Is Dead!’: News Outlets Prepared In Advance To Cover Francis’ Passing 🔌

When the leader of the world’s estimated 1.4 billion Catholics passes, it’s always banner-headline news. 

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📝 ‘We Will Never Forget’: How Covering The Biggest Story Of My Life Changed Me 🔌

On the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, our columnist reflects on how covering the biggest story of his life changed him.

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Crossroads Podcast: What’s Next With Global Religious Freedom?

As always, the annual U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom report focused on trends in nations known for bitter religious conflicts and the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians. The list of offenders of “particular concern” included China, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia and others. The commission pushed to add Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Vietnam to that list.

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RNA Inspires New Voices, Echoing My Own Beginnings

(OPINION) At a professor’s nudge, I first attended a conference in the early 2000s. I don’t remember what city it was in, or even the exact year. I do remember how awkward it felt. I stood shyly by myself —  away from the religion reporters I admired so much — when I should have been networking.

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Zenger Prizes 2025: A Look At This Year’s Award Winners

(ANALYSIS) Zenger Prizes each year come from a Christian foundation, Zenger House, that honors feature stories based in on-the-ground reporting. I’m the chairman and one of the five judges, all veteran journalists. We like Christian journalism but give awards to journalists of any religion from around the world who write deeply reported stories consistent with a biblical ethic.

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On Religion: Martin Marty Was The Original ‘Faith Influencer’

(OPINION) Marty died on Feb. 25 at the age of 97, a quarter of a century after retiring from teaching at the University of Chicago Divinity School. The research center he launched in 1979 was then rebranded as the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. He received numerous other awards, including more than 80 honorary degrees.

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