Religion Newswriters Association
Encyclopedia
The Religion Newswriters Association (RNA) is a non-profit
professional association in the United States
which seeks to promote better reporting on religion
in the news media
and to provide help and support to journalist
s who cover religion. It was founded in 1949 and in 2007 had 570 members and subscribers. Membership in the RNA is open to journalists who regularly report on religion in the secular print and broadcast media. Since 2006, the RNA has been associated with the Missouri School of Journalism
at the University of Missouri
.
The RNA awards scholarships for full-time journalists who wish to take college courses on religion, gives awards and scholarships to college journalists, sponsors seminars and conferences and publishes a "primer" for religion reporters and an online style guide, as well as other resources for journalists. The RNA is funded by dues paid by its members and contributions from the public.
In 1999, RNA executive director Debra Mason said in an interview that the topic of religion is very complex and requires extensive research, something which newspaper editor
s don't always appreciate. In 2005, Steve Buttry writing at Poynter Online said, "The Religion Newswriters Association does a tremendous job helping reporters learn the beat." The RNA was cited by Kenneth G. C. Newport and Crawford Gribben in their 2006 book Expecting the End: Millennialism in Social and Historical Context for helping reporters get in touch with credentialed scholars on religion, leading to better public understanding of religious issues.
Since the 1970s the RNA has published an annual list of the top ten religion-related news stories of the previous year. In 1999, the RNA was criticized by the Islamic organization the Wisdom Fund for listing a story on a special "Top 10 Stories of The Millennium" list which gave inaccurate information on the history of Islam
in India
. In the same year, the RNA also published a list of the top ten religious news stories of the Twentieth century, with the Holocaust being the most important event.
In 2001, the RNA was criticized by conservative commentator David Kupelain for its criticism of the expression "Islamic terrorist" and other expressions, of which the RNA said: "similar phrases that associate an entire religion with the action of a few." In 2006, representatives from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Church of Scientology
spoke to the annual RNA conference and discussed issues concerning their respective faiths.
In 2011, the Religion News Service
became an affiliated non-profit of the RNA.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
professional association in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which seeks to promote better reporting on religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
in the news media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
and to provide help and support to journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s who cover religion. It was founded in 1949 and in 2007 had 570 members and subscribers. Membership in the RNA is open to journalists who regularly report on religion in the secular print and broadcast media. Since 2006, the RNA has been associated with the Missouri School of Journalism
Missouri School of Journalism
The Missouri School of Journalism at University of Missouri in Columbia, claims to be the oldest formal journalism school in the world. Founded in 1908, only the Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme de Paris established in 1899 may be older...
at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
.
The RNA awards scholarships for full-time journalists who wish to take college courses on religion, gives awards and scholarships to college journalists, sponsors seminars and conferences and publishes a "primer" for religion reporters and an online style guide, as well as other resources for journalists. The RNA is funded by dues paid by its members and contributions from the public.
In 1999, RNA executive director Debra Mason said in an interview that the topic of religion is very complex and requires extensive research, something which newspaper editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
s don't always appreciate. In 2005, Steve Buttry writing at Poynter Online said, "The Religion Newswriters Association does a tremendous job helping reporters learn the beat." The RNA was cited by Kenneth G. C. Newport and Crawford Gribben in their 2006 book Expecting the End: Millennialism in Social and Historical Context for helping reporters get in touch with credentialed scholars on religion, leading to better public understanding of religious issues.
Since the 1970s the RNA has published an annual list of the top ten religion-related news stories of the previous year. In 1999, the RNA was criticized by the Islamic organization the Wisdom Fund for listing a story on a special "Top 10 Stories of The Millennium" list which gave inaccurate information on the history of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In the same year, the RNA also published a list of the top ten religious news stories of the Twentieth century, with the Holocaust being the most important event.
In 2001, the RNA was criticized by conservative commentator David Kupelain for its criticism of the expression "Islamic terrorist" and other expressions, of which the RNA said: "similar phrases that associate an entire religion with the action of a few." In 2006, representatives from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
spoke to the annual RNA conference and discussed issues concerning their respective faiths.
In 2011, the Religion News Service
Religion News Service
Religion News Service is a news agency about religion, ethics, spirituality and moral issues. Based in Washington, D.C., RNS has a network of correspondents around the world, providing news and information on all faiths and religious movements to the nation's leading newspapers, news magazines,...
became an affiliated non-profit of the RNA.
External links
- RNA membership site
- "Reporting on Religion: A Primer on Journalism's Best Beat"
- Religion Stylebook
- ReligionLink, a free service sponsored by the RNA that publishes religion story ideas and sources for reporters weekly.