Our IARJ colleagues are active in many media networks around the world, including the Religion & Media Interest Group of the Association of Educators of Journalism and Mass Communication. The Winter 2022-23 issue of that group’s Religion & Media UPDATE includes stories about two of our colleagues.

JOEL CAMPBELL, who teaches in the Brigham Young University School of Communication, reports on the IARJ’s recent global conference in Cordoba, Spain. Joel writes, in part:

More than 20 international religion journalists found common ground during a two-day meeting in Cordoba, exploring the European religious landscape and addressing contemporary challenges to religion reporting.

JOE GRIMM, who teaches at the Michigan State University School of Journalism, reports on the ongoing Bias Busters project at MSU to teach journalism students about religion reporting. Working together, his Bias Busters team publishes guidebooks about religious minorities. Joe writes in part:

Michigan State students always encounter roadblocks as they report for their 100-question cultural competence guides. The challenges in making these little books, now numbering about 20, include social or cultural knowledge gaps, language barriers and physical distance. But this fall’s 100 Questions and Answers About Mennonites and the Amish posed some of the greatest challenges.

Both Joel at BYU and Joe at MSU encourage journalists—including their students who are moving into the profession with a special interest in religion reporting—to consider membership in the IARJ.

To read the entire stories by Joel and Joe, click on this image (below) to see a PDF of the UPDATE’s Winter issue.

Preview of the Winter 2022 “Religion and Media Update” PDF