Christianity and the secular newsroom: Not conflicting, but complementary

Most people are shocked — or at the very least, perplexed — when I say I want to work at a secular publication after graduation.

A typical response is something along the lines of, “Why not work at a nice magazine like Christianity Today, or even Brio Magazine? Those other publications are so secular.”

For me, the latter portion of that response is my answer.

It's precisely because the press is so secular that there is such a desperate need for diligent, thoughtful, trustworthy Christian journalists.

While I in no way wish to trivialize the importance of those religious publications, I feel particularly called to work in a distinctly secular environment. It's something God has placed on my heart, and it's where my passion lies.

First off, I sharply disagree with those who think their careers and their faith should be divorced, something one woman reporter in the text prizes (47). A Christian, by definition, is someone who integrates his or her dependence upon and love for God into every facet of life.

It should come naturally.

Also, a Christian shouldn't be dismayed or concerned when coworkers pinpoint their faith, as that same reporter in the text was (47).

Christ, I think, makes it clear that we should not camouflage or cover up our faith; it isn't something to be ashamed of, but treasured. On the other hand, a Christian journalist shouldn't go about flaunting his or her faith. Neither should be necessary.

Rather, those common threads between journalism and Christianity of truth and justice, of accuracy and ethics, should go hand in hand.

As my concept of the role of a Christian journalist develops, I find myself aligning more and more with philosophies like those of Coleman McCarthy, a Washington Post columnist. As journalists, we have the opportunity to share the stories of the impoverished, the hurting and the marginalized to the masses. I don't want to “just be an entertainer,” as McCarthy said, when I can actually make a difference in this world with my words (54).

Essentially, it is the task first of a Christian journalist to gain the complete respect of coworkers. Only once one gains credibility as a good journalist will that person be able to slowly alter the perception of religion in the media from the inside out.

At my internship in a secular newsroom this summer, my coworkers knew I was a Christian student at Biola University. Twice, when Scripture-related questions arose in the newsroom — one of which was a source's reference to Lazarus — they directed their questions to me. Hopefully, they saw that my faith didn't conflict with my professional work, but if anything, complemented it.

Coworkers were much more candid with me when I was candid with them on questions of my own faith and completed my tasks with diligence.

I want more than almost anything to be a Christian of intelligence and integrity in my future profession, that I might chip away at the negative perception of Christians in the media.