Religion 225MC - Religion, Media, and Culture

Despite predictions to the contrary, the influence of religion on American public life has not waned; 90% of Americans recently reported having some belief in God. From Islamic terrorism (followed by anti-Islamic hate crimes) and America's wars on terror, to Romney's Mormonism and the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate, religion plays a role in almost every major debate in American politics and foreign policy, and often in American popular culture, too. Yet, many journalists and media commentators know very little about religion. We examine why and how the media fails to 'get' religion,' and consider how members of the media (as well as American citizens) can get religion better.