Two longstanding DC reporters weigh in on religion as a surprising force in American life—and one that matters to readers, and ought not be overlooked in leading American newsrooms. Alongside a failure by some outlets to cover ideological diversity, why do many newsrooms have a kind of “blind spot” on religion? Why are many leading columnists, reporters, and editors who cover American life less religious than their readers? Former NYT executive editor Dean Baquet said in 2016 that “the New York- and DC-based media powerhouses don’t get religion,” but what can be done about that? At a time when institutional religion is declining but significant in the US, two journalists—each in the industry for over three decades—will reflect candidly on how they’ve come to see religion as “always in the room.”
