The Press and Faith Based Politics
Stephen Burgard
School of Journalism, Northeastern University
Date:聽April 27, 2005
Event Recap
The Boisi Center held a lunchtime colloquium on April 27th with Stephen Burgard of the Northeastern University School of Journalism, whose topic was 鈥淭he Press and Faith Based Politics.鈥� Burgard鈥檚 talk explained why, notwithstanding increased coverage of religious topics, the press all-too-often overlooks the effect religious and moral values have on politics and public policy. There are two reasons for this paradox.
First, the media鈥檚 sharp focus on contemporary events discourages analysis of long-term trends and of the relationships between events. One example is the media鈥檚 treatment of the Bush Administration鈥檚 Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, which Burgard said should have emphasized the office鈥檚 origins in the 鈥渃haritable choice鈥� provisions of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, signed by President Clinton. Press coverage should have shown that 鈥渞eligion-based initiatives have found support in both major parties for some time,鈥� and that the long-term story regarding faith-based initiatives is really 鈥渕ostly about differences in emphasis between the two parties.鈥�
Second, the press has had difficulty understanding the 鈥渕oral middle,鈥� centrist voters of both parties whose faith informs their politics. Unlike the religious right, who link politics and religion in a high-profile way, the 鈥渕oral middle鈥� is difficult to identify without looking at sociological data, something reporters have shown little inclination to do. However, Burgard concluded that understanding the religious center is crucial, if there is to be intelligent and thoroughgoing reporting about issues such as gay marriage and stem cell research.