Every journalist is responsible to the ethics of the news company and their own personal belief system. A large part of my personal belief system is my religious beliefs. Much of the way I think is influenced by the teachings of my religion, as may be true for many other reporters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KGdPbd5wRI It is important to understand the boundary between church and state though so that religion is addressed appropriately. Religion is a personal preference and has a lot of emotional attachment for many people. These two factors demand that religious topics are discussed with discretion and with constructive points, supported by research. Religion is a “hot topic” in the public forum and a journalist must exercise extreme caution and tact when writing stories of a religious nature. Some articles address ways that religious topics should be handled in different types of reporting like this article http://www.religionwriters.com/tools-resources/reporting-on-religion-a-primer-on-journalisms-best-beat and state that there is no “right” approach to religious subjects, but rather is a matter of expressing different opinions in a tasteful way. The Witherspoon Institute addresses the ability to report on religion as a fundamental constitutional right http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2010/09/1717 and states “The kind of journalism that tracks our religious life is so important because journalism is the profession where two of our defining freedoms meet.”
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