Journalism, Religion, and Hope

Horace Greeley once wrote that “journalism will kill you, but it will keep you alive while you’re at it.” This session will convene a pair of exceptional journalists—a columnist who has earned two Pulitzers and worked at the New York Times for 40 years, and a foreign correspondent who has earned 18 British or European journalism awards and authored 10 books. With the arc of a career in view, when should journalists prioritize writing “important but unpopular” stories, such as covering a civil war in a faraway land, extreme poverty, genocide, wartime violence against women, or addiction? Is the journalist’s principal duty to the employer, to readers, or to some broader conception of the democratic citizenry? If the power of the pen is mightier than the sword, how can one discern possibilities along the way for other forms of service—such as a run for public office? And when covering war, oppression, or extreme poverty in settings such as the Middle East, China, or Africa, how does religion show up? This “big think” session on opportunities and constraints that leading journalists will likely encounter when covering some of today’s most difficult issues will offer wisdom for navigating an industry undergoing significant change.