Charles Austin is a former religion reporter for The Record, a daily newspaper in Hackensack, N.J., and has been a religion reporter for The New York Times, an editor with Hearst News Service, and director of news for the Lutheran Church in America. Adelle M. Banks is the senior correspondent at Religion News Service, a […]

How can a religion writer get more religion news stories into the paper or on air? By Michael Paulson The Boston Globe* In my experience, editors are always hungry for good stories about any subject, and religion is no exception. To get more religion stories into the paper, apply the same rigorous reporting and writing […]

Do religion writers always write stories for religious holidays? New clergy? Anniversaries? By Melanie Smith The Decatur Daily The routine events of religious life are a challenge to the religion reporter. Is there anything newsworthy about another Easter or Rosh Hashanah or Ramadan? Do readers want to know how their neighbors observe Lent or Divali? […]

This blog operated by the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture follows the debate over evolution. It provides original reporting and analysis about the debate over intelligent design and evolution, including breaking news about scientific research.

PBS’ “Faith and Reason” series has tackled several issues involved with the confluence of science and religion. The website offers resources on several of the topics the series has covered.

Many religion reporters also write about spiritual movements and ethical concerns. What sorts of stories like that should a religion writer do? By Richard Scheinin San Jose Mercury News To write stories about spiritual movements, look for the telltale “signs” of religion-the quest for transcendence we hear so much about these days, the attempt to […]

The U.S. Adoption and Safe Families Act was passed by Congress and signed into law in 1997.

Which resources are essential for a religion writer to own? By Laurie Goodstein The New York Times Speak softly and carry a long letter opener. You’re going to need it. Being on the religion beat means being snowed under by mail, magazines, public relations paraphernalia and books. The challenge is to make sure you’re reading […]

What role should religious demographics play and what are the best sources for such demographics? By Jeffrey Weiss The Dallas Morning News To answer this question, you need to start by considering two others: What do my readers want to know? What do they need to know? What do they want to know? Most people […]