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Help our colleagues “brainstorm”

At the start of each month, the International Association of Religion Journalists (IARJ) publishes this “Religion Story Ideas” column as a helpful way to spark fresh stories for our colleagues reporting on religion, spirituality and related cultures around the world. Sponsored by the Communications Committee of the IARJ, these short columns are designed as brainstorming opportunities. And, we want to thank IARJ members who already have sent us suggestions for future “Ideas” columns!

Check in with LDS members in your region

“Mormons,” a commonly used nickname for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have suffered bigotry and oppression since the church’s founding nearly two centuries ago. However, a horrific attack by a lone gunman on a church center in southeast Michigan on September 28, 2025, echoed around the world. One of the most remarkable responses was a grassroots outpouring by some members of the church to raise funds to help their attacker’s traumatized family after this tragedy. This news was published in Michigan by The Detroit Free Press; then, the story also circled the world and was reported, for example, by the BBC.

Veteran religion journalists who have reported on the church already know many of the nuanced issues involved in such stories. For example, as of 2018, the church is encouraging media not to use the nickname “Mormon” in an effort to better clarify that this is a Christian denomination. Associated Press style currently encourages following the church’s recommendation, but says the term “Mormon” still may be used for clarity in stories and headlines. In reporting on the recent tragedy, the church itself has set up a news-media-resource page with links to church responses and videos.

Wherever you are reporting around the world, this is a good time to check in with church members near you about their experiences with bigotry. And, here is an added tip to reporters: One myth about the church is that members don’t celebrate Christmas. In fact, they do and some congregations even set up elaborate Christmas decorations and present concerts for the public. That’s another timely angle to explore in your reporting in coming months.

What are we so afraid of?

“In a world facing a range of difficult issues, adults across 25 countries see the spread of false information online, the condition of the global economy and terrorism as major threats today. And while many people remain concerned about climate change and the spread of infectious diseases, fewer view these as major threats now than did in recent years.”

That’s the opening of a new Pew Research Center report, headlined: International Opinion on Global Threats. In this report you’ll find data you can use on more than two dozen countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Australia, India, Indonesia, Turkey, Kenya, Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico. While, at first glance, “global threats” may not immediately catch your eye as a religion journalist—there’s a lot of material in this Pew report that suggests what people within religious groups are thinking about as they pray, worship, preach and talk with each other in small groups.

And speaking of Christmas …

So, you think you know Christmas? Any time religion journalists gather, the obligation to find fresh holiday stories, each year, always comes up as we “talk shop.” We’re always looking for new ways to report on these annual milestones. So, our suggestion is: Have you explored some of the colorful and challenging pre-Christmas traditions in your part of the world?

There are countless fun-and-colorful traditions that prefigure Christmas in countries around the world. One example: In the Philippines, families already are hanging “parols” distinctive lanterns that begin showing up as early as September! If you dig a little deeper, you may want to report on Asian influences. In India, for example, Christian families hang “star lanterns,” although in India these may not be displayed until much closer to Christmas.

When it comes to challenging traditions, there’s the worldwide “Nativity Fast” in Eastern Christian churches, which is a great opportunity for food-related stories that may surprise your readers. And, there are many other very elaborate regional customs that have migrated around the world. Latin America’s custom of Las Posadas now is showing up in communities far from the homelands of this tradition.

Don’t overlook other major milestones

A central truth in all of the world’s religious tradition is the sacred nature of marking time, so veteran religion journalists always have an eye on their calendars. But here are a few milestones you might have overlooked:

October 28 is 60 years since Vatican II’s landmark “Nostra aetate.“

October 30 is 150 years since the first publication of Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.

November 17 is 150 years since the Theosophical Society was founded in New York.

Share ideas with us

Let’s make this as easy as possible: David Crumm, a veteran religion writer, magazine editor and publisher based in Michigan in the U.S., writes this column on behalf of the IARJ Communications Committee. If you’ve got further ideas to share about any item in this column, email David directly at [email protected]

Or, if you’ve reported these kinds of stories, send David a link that we can include in a future column.

The IARJ is dedicated to assisting religion journalists around the world to help each other find ever more meaningful ways to report on the significant impact of religion in communities around the world.