Confession and Confusion: Misinformation about Religion in the Journalistic Sphere

Abstract

The media often limit religious coverage to reporting on statements, appointments, opinions, and activities, ignoring in-depth treatment and emphasizing negative news. Media, rather than helping to combat prejudice and promote understanding between communities, have contributed to fuelling intolerance towards religious communities. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of the presence and treatment of religious issues. Through a combination of content analysis focused on Catalan media publications between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021, and a focus group with 12 journalists specialized in religious coverage for Catalan newspapers, this research sheds light on the prevailing trends, seeking to answer what is the space of religious content, which can include both content messages produced by religious communities that refer to their own or other faiths and/or content that discusses issues related to religions or religious groups. Occupies in the media agenda, how this content is addressed, and which are the perceptions of journalists regarding the coverage of religious issues. Moreover, we seek to unveil potential actions needed to improve it. The results of this study suggest that there is a tendency to publish limited religious content in the media, potentially shaping perceptions of religion. Furthermore, when religious topics are covered, they focus on Catholicism and Islam, marginalizing other faiths. What is more, stereotypes and misconceptions persist, which could be due to their continued priority to cover scandalous or negative events related to religion.