ABSTRACT
Gledhill uses autobiographical reflections to explore the changes in religious journalism since 1987, with the fundamental change being the rise of religion to ever-greater prominence in global news. 2001 marked the turning-point: the fact that seven in ten British citizens who counted themselves as Christian in the national census surprised ‘even the Bishops’ and gave the lie to the supposedly declining interest in faith, and 9/11 intensified the focus on religion in the news. The ongoing scandal of clerical child abuse and the rumbling divisions over homosexuality and gender ensure that there is often something to report. If these issues seem unfairly biased towards negative portrayals of religions, Gledhill offers a robust response: People say they want us to report harmony. But not only would they need to supply it, they would need to buy the newspapers in which it was reported.
The structure of journalism has also changed in the past decades: blogs, Twitter, Facebook and the increased interaction with readers has radically altered the nature of religious reporting. It has altered, too, the way in which journalism can be monetised. Gledhill, and others in the book, refer to The Times’ paywall, but no contributor quite knows whether this will be the model that will ensure the profitability of journalism in the future. A Novel, Poetry and Drama are used to go behind the ‘wall’ of several recurring stories to a ‘world there for the mending’.
