Some people say journalists are “godless.” But I spent five years in full-time Christian ministry, and my faith has made me a better reporter.
This story was co-published with The New York Times.
More than a dozen years ago I was a finalist for a reporting job
at a small newspaper. All I needed to do was survive an interview with
the top editor. The other editors warned me, saying their boss took
perverse pleasure from smashing the hopes of naive reporters. I braced
myself as he studied my resume. His lips curled into a sneer.
To be fair, my job history was a tad unusual. I had spent five years
in full-time ministry, including three as an evangelical Christian
missionary in Kenya. Then there was my master’s degree in theology from
Fuller Theological Seminary. There didn’t seem to be a lot of
churchgoing, Bible-believing, born-again Christians like me working at
daily papers.
The editor scowled and said, “So what makes you think that a Christian can be a good journalist?”
He emphasized “Christian” as if it were some kind of slur.
I liked that he spoke his mind, but I was taken aback. I explained
what I saw as a natural progression from the ministry to muckraking,
pointing out that both are valid ways of serving a higher cause. The
Bible endorses telling the truth, without bias. So does journalism. The
Bible commands honesty and integrity. In journalism, your reputation is
your main calling card with sources and readers.
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Source: ProPublica
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