Professor Stewart Hoover tells Colorado Press Association members about coverage of religion in the U.S. (Photo by Tom Cooper)

By Michelle Wallar (MA '05)

False assumptions and superficiality dominate press coverage of religion, Professor Stewart Hoover told the annual Colorado Press Association convention in Denver in February.

However, he was quick to exclude religion-beat reporters from his criticism.

Speaking at one of the CPA's State of the Industry sessions, Hoover listed ways media fail to provide quality coverage of religious topics and offered suggestions on how to improve. "Coverage of religion is such a difficult thing," Hoover said. "How to do it continues to be a problem."

Journalists tend to shy away from religion because it is seen as superstitious and irrational, Hoover said, adding that it makes claims that are not verifiable and so are often ignored.

The separation of church and state is often interpreted to include a separation of church and press as well, Hoover said. And when religion is covered, he said, movements, not institutions, get attention. He added that all too often, reporters treat religion with deference and see religious communities as homogenous groups in which all members think and act alike.

Two other assumptions also hinder religion coverage, Hoover said: "The United States is such a religious country that people already know about religion," and, "American society is becoming increasingly secularized."
Those assumptions are wrong, Hoover said. "Just because (readers) are religious, don't assume they know about religion – they don't." Membership in organized religion is decreasing, but at the same time, interest in spirituality through nonconventional routes is increasing, Hoover said. Institutions wane while religious diversity rises, he said.

Full text.