Religion, Journalism, and Democracy: Strengthening Vital Institutions of Civil Society

About

Democracy and the institutions it depends on are being tested in unprecedented ways in recent decades. Populist movements are sweeping the globe, while authoritarian regimes challenge democratic norms that were once taken for granted.

Key institutions of civil society—the academy, press and religious organizations—can serve as bulwarks protecting democratic principles. Notwithstanding their distinct missions, they protect democracy when they reinforce one another. Unfortunately, the gap between scholarship about religion and the media’s understanding of religion is more comprehensive than ever. Journalists lack training in covering religious stories, while religious studies and other scholars need skills to share their knowledge effectively with journalists and the public.

The Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University are spearheading this initiative to remedy these shortcomings. This project brings together journalists and scholars from religious studies and related fields to participate in workshops, seminars, and courses where they will exchange insights and expertise from their respective fields.

Funded by a grant from the Luce/ACLS Program in Religion, Journalism & International Affairs, the project bolsters the voices of journalists and scholars while also exploring how religious actors and organizations contribute to democratic culture—locally, nationally, and as part of global civil society.

Project team

Participants

Workshops and seminars fostered exchange among media professionals and scholars of religious studies and related disciplines. Participants learned from one another about the frameworks that shape strong reporting and are essential for understanding the religious dynamics of contemporary issues.

Alexander Aviña
Associate Professor of History, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
Jason Bruner
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
John Carlson
Director, Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict,
Associate Professor, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
Eugene Clay
Associate Professor of Religious Studies, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
Mark Curtis
Anchor, Channel 12
Luige del Puerto
Associate Publisher and Editor, Arizona News Service
Tracy Fessenden
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict
Steve and Margaret Forster Professor of Religious Studies, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
Joel Gereboff
Associate Professor of Religious Studies, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
Emma Greguska
Reporter, ASU Now
Kristin Gilger
Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Practice, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Anand Gopal
Assistant Research Professor, Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict and Center on the Future of War
Ali Hussain
Assistant Professor, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Okechukwu Iheduru
Professor of Political Science, School of Politics and Global Studies
Miki Kittilson
Professor of Political Science, School of Politics and Global Studies
Catherine O'Donnell
Associate Professor of History, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
Maria Polletta
Reporter, Arizona Republic/AZCentral.com
Vanessa Ruiz
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Joe Russamano
Professor, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Fernanda Santos
Professor of Practice, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Leah Sarat
Associate Professor of Religious Studies, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
Amy Silverman
Reporter, Phoenix New Times
Hoyt Tillman
Professor of Chinese Language and Literatures, School of International Letters and Cultures
Sarah Ventre
Senior Producer, KJZZ
Carolyn Warner
Professor of Political Science, School of Politics and Global Studies

Speakers

Rozina Ali is a journalist based in New York City. She is a contributing writer at New York Times Magazine, a fellow at Type Media Center, and a 2023-24 fellow at New America. She writes about the War on Terror, Islamophobia, the Middle East, South Asia, and literature. She was a Cullman Fellow for 2022-23. She won the 2023 National Magazine Award in Reporting.

Anthea Butler is Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought, and chair of the department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. A historian of African American and American religion, Professor Butler’s research and writing spans African American religion and history, Nationalism, race, politics, Evangelicalism, gender and sexuality, media, and popular culture.

Amy Sullivan is a Chicago-based journalist specializing in the relationship between religion and politics. She is a contributing editor to Time Magazine where she writes for the magazine’s political blog, Swampland. She has also written for the Washington Post, the New York Times, the New Republic, the Washington Monthly and the Los Angeles Times and was included in The Best Political Writing, 2006.

Daniel Burke is Senior Editor of Religion and Spirituality at NPR. He previously covered religion for Religion News Service and CNN. Known for his unusually in-depth and nuanced reporting on moral and ethical questions, his work also covers a wide variety of topics from how religion affects everyday life to understanding the relationship of religion and politics.

Peter Beinart teaches national reporting and opinion writing at the Newmark J-School and political science at the CUNY Graduate Center. He is editor-at-large for Jewish Currents, a CNN political commentator, and a fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He is also a nonfiction author and former Rhodes Scholar.

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