Worldview: The role of a Christian journalist

WORLDVIEW

A worldview is a life perspective that everyone has, and it influences the choices we make on a subconscious level. It tells us right and wrong, good and bad. It’s a roadmap for our life that we trust more than anything. And it encourages us to slant our actions – even in the slightest manner – in the direction we believe. Therefore, it is essential for Christian journalists to have a thorough understanding of their own worldviews, and make sure it lines up with Christ.

Without a strong worldview that you have full confidence in, you will struggle through life, constantly wandering left and right, but never forward. But when you realize your worldview and follow it through life you can move forward.

Your worldview shapes the way you see things. It shapes your beliefs. And it can also shape the stories you tell. Is abortion right or wrong? Will I portray that person as a child murder or a suffering 16-year old girl? Will I portray an elderly homeless man as someone with an uncanny addiction to gambling, or an individual who is struggling through cold winter nights and hunger? Will I portray homosexuals as sinful people who have turned their backs on God, or human beings who just want to be accepted?

Or can I find a middle ground?

As journalists, we must find a middle ground. We are encouraged to be objective, and if we know our worldview biases we can better fight to be objective. We don’t have to agree with homosexuality or abortion to give fair coverage.

For Christians, our subconscious worldview may be to favor the church and give them more favorable coverage than we would give other similar organizations. But that’s not objective, and by realizing our tendencies, we can work to be more objective.

It’s important to keep in mind that our worldview comes from many angles. Yes, we are Christians, but many of us are also conservatives, journalists and even sports fans, and those aspects of our lives add to our worldview, as well.

As a Christian, my worldview starts with the basic foundation of God.

“God the Father has reconciled His created but fallen world through the death of His Son, and renews it into a Kingdom of God by His Spirit,” Herman Bavinck was quoted in Creation Regained.

It leads me to believe things like abortion are wrong, and divorce is not an option. Things like life are precious and murder is evil. It says sexual immorality is wrong, and purity is found in Christ.

As a conservative, my worldview says Republicans are good and Democrats are bad. Whatever President George W. Bush said was right, and whatever President Bill Clinton said was wrong.
As a sports fan, it says the Michigan Wolverines are everything good in life, while the Ohio State Buckeyes are despicable, almost to the point of sinfulness. It says, “Go Tigers, Lions and Pistons.” It leads me to believe that baseball is the truest sport, and basketball and football are pretty good too. And it testifies that sports are good, while other things, such as fine arts, are second-class.

As a journalist, my worldview centers around the Associated Press style book. It promotes concise writing and good story telling. It believes in objectivity, and can’t stand biases, even when it comes from church friends.

These are the things my heart tells me. The things buried in my subconscious. We all have them. But we know they are not always true. Ohio State can’t be that bad. Republicans makes mistakes, while Democrats do accomplish good things. And fine arts can be just as deserving as sports.

It would be easy and dangerous to blindly follow them, but as quality journalists we must rise above the challenge by realizing these worldview biases and working to neutralize them.
If we are to be top-notch journalists, we must know our worldviews inside-and-out and learn to react to our biases in an objective manner that is fair to both sides.

JOURNALISM’S ROLE IN REVEALING THE CREATION, FALL AND REDEMPTION

Journalism’s responsibility is to reveal the truth, and the creation, fall and redemption are all seen in various ways when the truth is presented.

When we write about miracles, such as the birth of octuplets, or showcase strawberry farms opening for the summer, we display God’s glory and creation.

Creation is an on-going process. It started with God’s act of creating the world. But He didn’t leave it at that. He’s constantly at work in the lives and nature all around us. He brings babies into the world. He tells the planets how to spin and the sun how bright to shine. And as journalists, he gives us creative ideas all the time. Think about it: most people struggle to write papers. But somehow we thrive at it and have turned it into careers. There’s no way that comes for me without God consistently giving me ideas for creative leads and phrases to weave into my stories.

When we cover murder trials and write enterprise stories on overflowing prisons we see the fall and corruption of man. The fall is also seen in the growing homeless population, and the spread of diseases.

The fall is all too prevalent and inescapable in this world. It’s the big things like murder, diseases and homelessness. It’s the divorces that tear families apart. And the everyday things like arguing with brothers and sisters.

Our only hope is in Jesus. He offers a better future and can even open our eyes and change our hearts to realize a better present. That’s what redemption is all about. And when we report about heroes saving lives, such as military accomplishments and fire fighters pulling people out of burning buildings, it reflects Christ’s redemption: A painful, yet noble cause.

These are all issues newspapers cover, and we have a choice to present them truthfully or with bias.

But we need not put a Christian emphasis, or tone to our writing, on any of these stories to showcase the creation, fall or redemption. Not only would it be subjective journalism, but we don’t need to explicitly mention the biblical story to display God’s truths. They are self-evident, and our responsibility as truth-bearers is to tell it like it is and let God do the rest of the work.

HOW DOES REDEMPTION AFFECT HOW A JOURNALIST CRAFTS A FEATURE STORY?

Christ’s redemption is all about hope. It’s offers a mind-boggling opportunity to enjoy life with God for eternity, and helps you avoid an eternity of ultimate suffering.

It’s hope that that led the lowly New York Giants to a Super Bowl upset for the ages over the almighty New England Patriots two years ago. It’s hope that spurs college students to great careers. And it’s a much greater hope that we have as Christians because of the cross.

So of all journalists we should be able to write with a glimpse of hope and a sense of confidence.

That’s what I did when five athletes at my college were suspended for violating the alcohol policy. They made a mistake, and we didn’t shy away from showing that. But three of them were repentant and I portrayed their remorse throughout the story.

It’s what I did when one of our soccer players, who was brutally assaulted, flirted with death. As he made it back we helped readers feels his pain and fear. But we also displayed a sense of hope in the second chance he received.

And it’s what I did when two Cornerstone track teammates suffered a car accident. One died, while the other struggled to survive. We battled all sorts of campus emotions in that story – grief for one player’s death, agony for her family and friends, misery for the player who survived – but we focused on the sense of hope she brought the community upon her return to the track team.

Hope is everywhere and it’s our responsibility to find it for our stories.