God Beat Shop Talk

“You don’t upgrade and expand religion reporting — or reporting of any subject — by limiting access to the field. For many beats in any newsroom, a talented, enthusiastic reporter with little experience but with specialized academic training brings energy and fresh ideas that provide better coverage than a veteran who might have become bored with the beat.” Steve Buttry, at Poynter Online, disagrees with veteran religion reporter Julia Duin’s recent proposal for improving newspaper coverage of religion.