Religion writer wanted: no qualifications needed
Thursday March 29, 2007
A few years ago, the Washington Post advertised for a religion writer, saying that "The ideal candidate is not necessarily religious nor an expert in religion." Can you imagine the Post, or any newspaper, advertising for a sportswriter who is...
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Rod Dreher is an editorial columnist for the Dallas Morning News, and author of "Crunchy Cons" (Crown Forum), a nonfiction book about conservatives, most of them religious, whose faith and political convictions sometimes put them at odds with mainstream conservatives. The views expressed in this blog are his own.
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Certainly no background in religion is insufficient for a reporter. However, how much and of what kind is sufficient? As I dip into this blog and its comboxes, I am continually amazed at how the attributes of one religion are assumed for all religions and how societal trends about religion are cited with only the merest hint of anecdotal evidence. As a student in soc of religion (and a practicing Jew), there is a list of books longer than my arm that would fill in some of the gaps. Anyone want some light summer reading? How much of what reading makes for an adequate reporter? It's worth considering another explanation for the WaPo's not asking for qualifications. While the MSM may indeed not take religion seriously (I don't know the figures about affiliation and the media, but could check...), it is also possible that this attitude comes out of the tradition of the individual relating directly to God and the text, that an unmediated relationship of faith is more valuable than traditional or expert authority. While it may be expressed in a secular manner, I'm betting that a Protestant approach to religion underlies the advertisement.
It's more likely that Rod is right: an atheist approach to religion underlies the advertisement. I'm a Protestant and the quotes don't ring any familiar bells with me. An "unmediated relationship of faith" is not the same as ignorance or unbelief.
It seems to me it doesn't matter if the person is religious or not; but if they don't know anything about religion, that's different. One does not have to be a professional baseball player to be a sports writer, but you need to know about baseball. Being religious would give me an insider perspective---but then, being an atheist/nonreligious would give you a good "outsider" perspective---but you need some perspective! God bless.
I'm no fan of Sally Quinn, but she's not a reporter. She's a blogger and actually more an organizer of other people's boggings. She doesn't need to be religious to contemplate about faith, just as someone doesn't need to be a filmmaker to contemplate about films.
Also, the WP story is 13 years old. The WP now has experienced religion writers who cover religion just as well as Duin does at the Moonie paper across town.
"The ideal candidate is not necessarily religious..." yes Joey... there could be valuable insight from an "outsider perspective"... I suspect that such a perspective would make it much easier to see that all Religions are Myth... "insiders" seem to have a great difficulty seeing this... mostly, "insiders" seem to have a distorted view where their personal choice of Religion is the exception to the general rule that everyone else's Religion is Myth... think so? "... nor an expert in religion"... seems to me that so-called "experts" disagree... I'm sure there are "experts" who see all Religion as Myth... and other "experts" who disagree... go figure...
...
faith in God alone... hope in God who is far greater than what all scriptures say... love joy peace to all...
All religion *is* myth...
Damn, I missed my chance. I'd make a great religion writer. [Being a pagan, I can claim outsider status just about everywhere in Western Civilization. Being well read, I could at least write accurately. Being a person of faith, I could write with some semblance of empathy. What more could be asked? ;) ]
Franklin, You certainly would be a good and an interesting religion writer. IMO
There is no objective position outside of religion, just as there is no objective position outside of politics or any other fundamental aspect of human experience. Believing that there is no God, not knowing whether or not there is a God, or being indifferent to the question of whether or not there is a God are all stances with just as much religious consequence as believing that there *is* a God. At the very least a commentator or a media outlet covering religion ought to be sophisticated enough with regard to the subject to understand *that*.
I may be attributing too much to this, but it sounds like she was unhappy that no one considered her for the job as religious correspondent at the NYT. :) On the one had she says that there aren't enough religion reporters positions. So when the different news organization start hiring them, which is good, she complains that they are hiring unexperienced people. Well, if there were a few religion reporters before, and many retired, most will hire new people or re-assign experienced reporters to that beat. In fact, the story seems to be good news: all of these newspapers are hiring people for the beat. Of course, the didn't hire her ;) P.S. Check the Washington Post religion section. I think it is very good.
Some people with absolutely no experience in a particular field end up bringing new insights and a fresh new perspective to that field. Have you ever tried explaining religion to someone who was raised with no religion? Granted that a religion writer without experience would probably make a lot of dumb mistakes. But, doesn't everyone when they are starting out? However, I certainly would hope that the Washington Post (or whoever) would have some religion writers with lots of experience.
Some people with absolutely no experience in a particular field end up bringing new insights and a fresh new perspective to that field. Have you ever tried explaining religion to someone who was raised with no religion? I don't really see how your second statement follows from the first. When I have tried to explain religion to someone raised with no religion, what I have generally gotten back is an utter lack of comprehension, not "new insights and a fresh perspective". I mean, that's like saying that someone with no background whatsoever in math and science should get a job as science writer because he or she might bring "new insight and a fresh perspective". Sure people make mistakes when they start out; but you don't generally hire someone with *no* qualifications at all to start out with, esp. when there are so many qualified people out there.
Just so long as they don't hire a journalism major. (Like secondary ed., another completely unneccesary inovation of the 20th century academic industry).
Franz, agreed. And my degree is in journalism.
You are right, David. I was posting in a hurry and didn't bother to complete my thought.
What I was driving at was something like this: are those who have expertise on religion necessarily going to be the best at explaining religion to the unchurched?
The unchurched don't seem to "get religion" (or perhaps they get it too well and don't want anything to do with it) and I'm sure there are plenty of excellent religion columnists and essayists out there.
Perhaps someone without expertise on religion might bring a fresh approach that would appeal to the unchurched.
Like secondary ed., another completely unneccesary inovation of the 20th century academic industry) Sort of like the "Global Warming Scientist"...
I am christian and I dont have a degree in writing but I am
a well skilled young poet and I am 18 gonna be 19 next month
and I would like to present some well written religion poetry for you
so just email me or go to myspace.com to find me
my myspace is www.myspace.com/poetry4desire
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