WORDS Fatima Measham

Is religion in danger of disappearing from the media? Journalist Barney Zwartz thinks religion remains relevant in the public sphere.

When ABC Radio National shelved The Religion Report, it set off a wave of comments that its other axed specialist programs did not generate. Many notable individuals raised their concerns about the consequences of its demise.

In particular, Archbishop Philip Wilson, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, commented on the implications of the move given that nearly 70 per cent of Australians at the 2006 census identified themselves with a religion. In an article posted on the ACBC website, he refers to online comments on the issue that show it is not only believers who engage with such programs, but atheists and agnostics.

Barney Zwartz, The Age Religion Editor, argues religion has its place in the mainstream. ‘In a pluralist society, religious voices have no more authority than other voices’, he says, ‘but they certainly need to be heard.’

While he acknowledges that The Religion Report may have simply fallen in the competition for media space, he is concerned that certain voices may now be silenced by its absence. ‘In the media, we have a duty to reflect society back to itself, and faith-based voices are part of our diversity.’

This is no more than what is required by the ABC Charter itself, which describes one of its functions as ‘broadcasting programs that ... reflect the cultural diversity of the Australian community’.

Beyond this, however, Barney believes that religious voices genuinely have something to offer. ‘I think it is wrong and dangerous for society that the dominant ethical paradigm is utilitarian. It’s really important to have faith-based people arguing for a more demanding paradigm than that.’

Unfortunately, the traditional media works with the immediate and the sensational. Barney says newspaper articles on religion still have to pass the same criteria as other stories, that is, ‘whether they qualify as interesting, controversial, important or affecting a lot of people’. In other words, mainstream media does not naturally lend itself to reflection and discussion, which are essential for topics concerning faith.

Yet, at the same time, it is difficult to generalise the media as being hostile towards religious voices. He explains, ‘Fr Bob Maguire is regarded as being on the liberal end of the Church, so he would be treated one way and Cardinal George Pell would be treated another way. You could look at Sheik Al-Hilali, who seems to come out in the media badly, but then there are other Muslims, like Waleed Aly, who are admired in the media.’

This ambivalence seems to have some benefits. ‘Christians can’t claim the same moral authority that they once did’, says Barney. ‘They have to claim reason by good argument, not by authority. I think this is a good thing.’

Since becoming Religion Editor in 2002, Barney has also seen religion reporting shift from coverage of controversies within the Catholic Church to one that more fully recognises the diversity of Australia’s spiritual heritage.

Indeed, stories related to Judaism, Islam, and Protestantism have never received more coverage. From the rise of Pentecostal churches, to the emergence of fundamentalist elements in certain Muslim communities, to court cases on vilification against Jews, journalists are covering news that has some element of religion at play.

This does not necessarily mean that reporters need to specialise, but a background familiarity is always valuable.

There are actually very few journalists in Australia that have such knowledge. Fairfax, which publishes The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, is often credited for having specialists in the field. The ABC, despite having axed The Religion Report, retains The Spirit of Things and Sunday Night, which discuss topics around religion, ethics and spirituality.

Other than these, specialist content is confined to media productions run by religious groups themselves. For instance, Catholic archdioceses have flagship publications such as The Record (Perth) and The Southern Cross (Adelaide). The Australian Christian Channel has been airing on subscription television since 1999. Local community radio also provides an outlet for faith-based content such as Rhema FM which operates in a number of locations from Tamworth to Geelong. The internet is also becoming increasingly used as a platform for religious commentary, particularly through blogs.

Barney himself runs a blog called The Religious Write, which allows him room to express his views that his reportage, by nature, cannot. Launched in May 2007, it has become a lively forum not just for believers but non-believers. The engagement by the latter surprised Barney.

‘They’ve got a forum where their opinions could be heard, and they’re encouraged by each other’, he says. He notes with regret the discussions can turn hostile. ‘Anything that sparks off the atheists gets more of a response. It tends to be that people post when [they] disagree than when [they] agree. When I say something, the atheists disagree, then the rest disagree with  them.’

Barney reflects that atheists are contending with the idea that, instead of religion dying as they had anticipated, it remains largely relevant in the 21st century. ‘Religion is the distilled wisdom of millennia’, he says. ‘How we survive and get along, how we cope with things in our lives, how we cope with grief and conflict, as well as other important areas of life, these require a point of view that religion provides.’

He believes there will always be a place for religion reporting, even in traditional media. ‘Journalists cover society, and that’s where religion is.’

Catholic websites

Eureka Street
www.eurekastreet.com.au
Highly-respected online sister publication to Australian Catholics, providing free daily commentary on a range of political, social and theological issues.

The Tablet
www.thetablet.co.uk
Long-standing British Catholic weekly newspaper, providing news stories, features, as well as open lectures, a radio program, and student section.

Busted Halo
www.bustedhalo.com
An online magazine for spiritual seekers in their 20s and 30s.

Thinking Faith 
www.thinkingfaith.org
Contains a variety of articles on current events, environmental ethics, Islamic and Jewish perspectives and faith and humanity.

Ron Rolheiser 
www.ronrolheiser.com
Touches on many issues connected with spirituality and psychology.

The National Catholic Reporter
www.ncronline3.org/drupal/
Aims to shape the lives of 21st century Catholics. John Allen and Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun and best-selling author, are regular contributors.

Center for Action and Contemplation
www.cacradicalgrace.org
Run by Franciscan Richard Rohr, encourages new ways of living and thinking dealing principally with people, faith and sustainability.

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