By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
While speaking at the Religion Newswriters Association this weekend, Denver’s Archbishop Charles J. Chaput chastised the press for its ill-informed coverage of Christianity and defended his reasons for refusing all interview requests from the New York Times.
In an address entitled “Journalism and the New American Orthodoxy” delivered on Friday in Denver, Archbishop Chaput criticized the way religion, particularly Christianity, is covered by the media.
“We now commonly see religion coverage that’s illiterate about the subject matter, or narrows the scope of facts or sources to fit an unfriendly narrative—especially when it comes to the Christian faith and its traditional content,” he said. “Coverage of Islam tends to be equally ill-informed and confused on matters of history; but also more respectful and even sympathetic, as in the recent New York mosque controversy.
“In contrast, the Christian story now told in mainstream media often seems to be a narrative of decline or fundamentalism, or houses divided against themselves along predictable lines of sex and authority. It’s a narrative of institutions and individuals that—insofar as they stay true to their historic beliefs—act as a backward social force and a menace to the liberty of their fellow citizens.”
Freedom of the press includes the right to question the actions and motives of religious figures and institutions, he said, but it doesn’t excuse prejudice or poor handling of serious material, especially people’s religious convictions.
“Understand believers and their institutions as they understand themselves,” he advised. “If you do that and do it with integrity, fairness and humility, you’ll have the gratitude of the people you cover and you’ll embody the best ideals of your profession.”
During the question and answer session, he was confronted by Laurie Goodstein, a religion reporter for the New York Times, who asked him why he didn’t return her phone call recently when she wanted an interview.
The Archbishop responded by telling her that because the Times had misquoted him during the 2004 presidential campaign, he was boycotting the paper. When Goodstein expressed surprise at the boycott, the Archbishop took the opportunity to challenge the Times’ recent coverage of the sex abuse scandal.
“You treated Pope Benedict badly in the latest series about him,” he told her.
At that point, another reporter, Cathy Grossman of USA Today, challenged him, asking if a boycott over one reporter was fair.
“We don’t boycott everyone,” the Archbishop confirmed, “just the New York Times.”
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