The Christian Journalist's Call to Character
Screens and Stories
We love good stories. To hear them. To tell them. To see them. We long to be part of them. Yet in our over-mediated, hurried, and consumeristic culture we often fail to honor them. To truly listen. To mourn with those who are mourning. To rejoice with those who are rejoicing. To be moved to action after hearing of horrific situations, of people who could benefit from our kindness and generosity.Instead, we walk past each other every day, living stories, and stare at our screens . We hide away in our rooms binge-watching our new favorite show on Netflix.We are over-mediated. How often do you go through a meal or a long conversation without checking your phone?We are hurried. How often do you hide behind your busyness and avoid what is happening throughout the world?We are consumeristic. We “like” the photos and the stories that make us feel good and we tend to quickly pass over that which makes us feel uncomfortable. That which might require more than a few fleeting moments of our time.The evangelical Church in the West needs a wake-up call to the reality of what is happening throughout the world, particularly to what God is doing throughout the nations. This will not happen apart from the work and power of the Holy Spirit. Missions journalism can be one avenue God uses to stir up our distracted hearts, to reawaken our vision to his mission, and to reprioritize our affections to what is eternal.
The Place of a Journalist in the Mission of God
Character matters to the stories we tell and the witness we have for Christ. As Christian journalists, we are tasked with being responsible stewards of the stories we encounter through God-honoring interpersonal relationships and obedience. Through doing this, we can better equip the Western Church and serve the nations of the world through representational journalism.
Thinking about Journalism Theologically
We are not left without biblical and theological foundations for how we ought to approach the work of journalism. Luke is an example we see in Scripture of a godly reporter on mission for Christ. He practiced incarnational ministry, traveling alongside of Paul and investing in deep relationships as they proclaimed the gospel. The idea of us reporting separated from relationships, separated from ministry, is foreign to Scripture and to the mission of God. Luke reported with accuracy and carefulness, interviewing eyewitnesses and making certain his details were correct. He also wrote his accounts with a specific recipient in mind, therefore reporting in a way to serve and honor someone else. The example of Luke challenges us to examine the commitment we have to the truth and to others as we report stories of what God is doing throughout the world.“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1-4)If I Have Not Love…While no Christian would argue the importance of doing all things in love, it can be easy to separate our call to love from the matter-of-fact reporting that is often necessary for the work of journalism (1 Cor. 16:14). If we write the most compelling and even accurate accounts without love, it is worth nothing. Getting wrapped up in events and failing to truly see and love the people involved is missing the point entirely. God cares more about the heart behind our actions than the end result. Whether “missional” by name or not, the Christian journalist cannot separate their work from their call to love as a follower of Jesus.“If I have not love, I am nothing.” (Paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13:1-4)Owners vs. StewardsAs we approach the stories of others, we must adopt the mindset of being stewards. The events we report do not belong to us and ought not to be used in order to promote ourselves or our own opinions but rather belong to others and ultimately to God himself and therefore must be treated with great care. The entrustment journalists are given to bring light to the realities of the world should not be treated carelessly. The command we have to be faithful stewards of what Christ has entrusted us with frees us from a competitive and envious spirit in our journalism. Rather than using journalism as a way to control others or to validate ourselves, we are able to use it to serve others and to proclaim the excellencies of Christ.“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25b-28)Not Without HopeWhile the responsibility we have as Christians to approach journalism with godly character may seem overwhelming, we are not left in an impossible position. Our union with Christ is our great hope in approaching journalism with character and love, because he lives in us and works through us. The righteousness we have in Christ empowers us to report stories in freedom from our selfish motives. The love of Christ in us enables us to use journalism as a way to serve others rather than to gain power over them. The godliness required of us is not a burden, but is a gift we can walk in as we submit to Christ’s presence in our lives.“You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Journalism Gone Wrong
There is great danger in approaching journalism with greater emphasis on technique than character. Technique informs our strategies, how we approach the events and stories we report, and how we edit them in a way that will connect with our audience. Technique mainly relates to the how, while character mainly relates to the why, which then informs the how. We love being told how to do things just right, how to put things together in such a way that we receive the intended response. But as soon as technique takes priority over character, journalism becomes not a way to serve but instead a way to entertain, to impress, or to coerce.The Danger of MisrepresentationJournalism divorced from relationships and respect will result in misrepresentation. When we enter a situation and our only desire is to find what is “newsworthy”, we can miss out on the significance found in taking the time to listen and to learn from those who stories we are telling. Whether an outright fabrication or a twisting of the truth through exaggeration, misrepresentation is a danger for those of us who are looking for a dramatic story and come to find situations that are rather mundane and bleak. While technique may lead us to tell the stories people want to hear, character leads us to tell the stories people need to hear. Incarnational ministry is an essential part of being able to report others’ stories. How dare we attempt to represent others if we have not walked among them? If we have not taken time at all to learn their history, their culture, their lives?The Dishonesty of SensationalismThe technique of sensationalism is dangerous and dishonest, inconsistent with the biblical understanding of reality and suffering. When we attempt to make stories and events more grandiose than they truly are, when we show only the stories we know will stir up deep emotional responses, or when we bring attention only to the most extreme horrific examples of a situation we fail to accurately portray the stories God has entrusted to us.Sensationalizing others’ stories, dramatizing their lives to a point that is untrue, is dishonoring to them. The temptation to do this in the context of missions can become particularly strong. We may want to show either how terrible situations are in order to raise awareness and receive a reaction or to show how wonderful and effective our ministries are to receive validation. Yet people in our pews need to be able to connect with the missionaries they support, to not see them as a category of super-Christians, but to realize their lives and their ministries are often messy and discouraging, while also rewarding and beautiful.Jason Byassee, a guest writer for Theology Today, addresses the inconsistenty of sensationalism for Christians by highlighting what he believes to be the predictable aspects of religious journalism. He goes so far to say about religious writing, “some of it is boring, because, well, religion at its best is boring” (281). He later expounds upon this thought by saying, “a turn from the front of the paper to the back might coincide with realizing that the slow, patient work of faith is crucial to unlearning the excitement of the front page and being drawn into the plodding, patient life of God” (281). Byassee affirms the importance of listening well to towards others, “My best writing has come…when I asked open questions, payed attention to what I was told, noticed the crevices beneath the surfaces that don’t show up in sensationalist accounts in daily newspapers” (283).Entering into situations with the story fully told in our mind simply looking to have our vision confirmed reeks of pride. While a vision and ideas are absolutely necessary for good reporting, when we approach a story for the first time and are not open to the possibility that we are missing something, or that we are overemphasizing one small aspect of a story, we have forgotten our responsibility as stewards and have attempted to become full owners.
The Necessity of Technique
While technique can be extremely dangerous when it is overemphasized, it is by no means an enemy to us as we seek to report stories and speak truth. Technique matters and we ought to use it effectively without compromising character. In fact, for us to point to our character or love as an excuse for poor or lazy journalism is an oxymoron. Froneman points to basic factors of determining the newsworthiness of something such as timeliness, proximity, eminence and prominence, consequence and impact, as well as human interest (10). Understanding what people connect with in stories and seeking to do a good job in reporting them is a worthwhile endeavor and an entirely different matter than using technique to manipulate people. Character leads us to do our work unto Christ with passion and excellence. It informs our use of technique but it can never obliterate it.
The Beauty and Power of Journalism
There is great beauty in telling stories built out of godly lives and loving relationships. We are made to share in the stories of one another, to hear, to see, to celebrate, to mourn. Missions journalism is an avenue God can powerfully use to help us learn about contexts we are unfamiliar with and to hear about how we can partner with the advancement of his kingdom throughout the world.In his work, Careers in Religious Journalism, Roland Wolseley describes the basic requisites for the Christian journalist in missions by stating, “He is more than a journalist. He must interpret Christianity to non-Christians, often, and so he must have grounding in Christian and missionary and church history and in the meaning of his own faith” (75). Journalists in missions most not see themselves merely as a reporter of what God is doing, but most be able to communicate realities because of their own understanding and involvement in his work. While much of their time must be spend doing the valuable work of research, writing, and editing, if the Christian journalist has not found a deeper way to serve and connect with the people surrounding them, they most likely will be missing part of the story and part of the opportunity to be a witness for Christ.Approaching journalism with the mind of Christ allows us to tell stories in a manner that reflects the beauty of his kingdom. We bear witness to the heavenly kingdom by approaching journalism with a recognition of the image of God in others. We do this by being a voice for the voiceless and by celebrating the renewal experienced in Christ.We bear witness to the sovereignty of our God by doing journalism in difficult and dangerous places. While this does not mean we need to run to the most violent places in the world, it does mean our willingness to step into uncomfortable and dangerous situations can testify to God’s care for us as his children when we go with a concern for his glory and not our own. Jim Killam, a Christian journalist in missions writes, “Why aren’t more Americans going to and telling stories about neglected areas? We don’t think that means disregarding safety—it just means going where others aren’t, with the confidence that God is guiding your steps” (158).We bear witness to the creativity of God by reporting stories that represent a wide range of ethnicities, cultures, and ideas. While we may think we are immune from extreme bias in creating missions journalism, the possibility of ethnocentrism and strong political preferences can be extremely harmful if we are blind to our own agendas rather than being surrendered to the mission of God.Reporting true and meaningful stories with godly character can help equip the Western Church to serve others more fully. It can also help us connect with the nations of the world more deeply when we are able to understand the contexts and events shaping their lives and when we are able to listen to their stories. Hearing others’ stories, pain, and joys through journalism allows us to better know, commune with, and serve them.
What Next?
So you want to tell stories? Good. We were made to do so.By no means am I writing this to tell you you’re unqualified. Instead, I am here to encourage you that in Christ, we have been given “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Because of this, we are not without hope. Because of this, we have no room for excuses for ungodly living and lazy journalism. We ought to evaluate our own lives and intentions before jumping into reporting others’ stories.Christ calls us to service and love: we must consider our intentions and examine our conduct. Do we want to tell others’ stories merely to avoid our own? Do we truly want to serve others or are we seeking to convince them of our own agenda?Christ uses imperfect people: we must not lose heart or give up. Do you fail often in your walk with Christ? Do you feel inadequate to do his work? Then you are just the kind of person he chooses to use.So you want to tell stories? So did I. Well, maybe I still do. Right now I’m learning to listen. Learning to serve. And maybe one day I’ll pick up my camera and notebook and really dig into what God is doing throughout the world. Maybe you will want to join me. Featured Image by Dariusz Sankowski via Unsplash
Works Cited:
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