Christian Journalism

We’ve all seen it; the TV/Movie portrayal of a journalist that smokes like a chimney, drinks like a frat boy, and cusses like a sailor. They spend their day in a smoke filled office on the phone yelling at some source to tell it to them straight. They miss time with their family. And they will do ANYTHING to get the story {and I mean anything}.

I believe this is a misconception. Not all journalists are cut-throat drinkers with a vivid vocabulary. As a Christian journalist, this idea of a “typical journalist” has been posed to me for the last few years. Let’s get one thing straight, I am first and most importantly a Christian that happens to be a journalist and writer. Others may not live that way, but I do. So when you look at me, you might not think typical journalist but I am hungry for the truth to be given to people.

As a Christian journalist I may not backstab and run over my sources to get a story—I want to treat them right and if that means I don’t get a particular story then maybe I don’t. Maybe that makes me a bad journalist…I’m not sure. For me, Christian journalism means that I search for the truth so that people understand. I don’t cover stories for vengeance or to uncover a juicy secret {although, let’s be honest, every journalist wants to be the next Woodward and Bernstein}. I crave to tell stories and discuss the things going on in society. But for me, my Christianity will always come first.

After the tragedy in Paris, this idea of Christian journalism has been playing in my mind. While I don’t agree in the type of things that were produced by the magazine, as a journalist, I can’t imagine being killed for something I write. I have a feeling that the face of journalism might be changing.

Christian journalism and what it looks like is a question that will always be around. In many respects, the answer is different for each person. I want to be a storyteller, a writer, and someone who conducts myself in a Christian manner. For me, while I want to think of myself as a dedicated, hardcore, excited journalist that would do anything for a story I’m not sure that is exactly my title. Until I get that big story, I’ll be here. discussing the small stories that still matter. Does Christian journalism look different than journalism? I think so.