What stories will religion reporters be chasing in 2022?
Godbeat veteran Kimberly Winston asked a handful of national journalists — myself included — that question on Interfaith Voices’ “Inspired” radio show.
“Every one of the reporters we asked had a different answer,” Winston noted.
That’s certainly true.
But a few common themes emerged.
The Washington Post’s Michelle Boorstein, The Conversation’s Kalpana Jain and I all mentioned abortion as the U.S. Supreme Court contemplates overturning — or at least severely curtailing — Roe v. Wade.
Other topics cited: the COVID-19’s pandemic ongoing impact on religion and the role of faith and Christian nationalism — so evident in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — in the midterm elections.
The Los Angeles Times’ Jaweed Kaleem said he’ll be reporting on religious activism related to the climate and environment. Faithfully Magazine’s Nicola Menzie expects to keep monitoring issues of importance to Christian communities of color, such as mental health.
By the way, the 2022 question was just one part of a fascinating show in which Winston delved into how religion reporters get their stories.
I was truly captivated, except for the parts where I had to listen to my own voice. I’d highly recommend it.
Look for more predictions for the coming year — including a major global story — in this week’s Inside the Godbeat section.
Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads
1. One year after Jan. 6, what’s changed for faith groups?: Unless you were hanging out with Rip Van Winkle, you know that Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of the deadly U.S. Capitol riot.
“A year after the insurrection, there is growing awareness of the dangers of Christian nationalism,” the Deseret News’ Mya Jaradat reports. “But the most extreme believers have only become more entrenched in their views.”
ReligionUnplugged.com’s own Hamil R. Harris shares his reflections on the anniversary, while Religion News Service’s Jack Jenkins offers a timeline of prayers said in and around the Capitol that day.
2. A surge of evangelicals in Spain, fueled by Latin Americans: The Associated Press’ Alberto Arce reports on “huge surges in Spain’s migrant population and evangelical population in recent decades.”
The surges, AP explains, have produced “profound changes in how faith is practiced in a country long dominated by the Catholic church.”
3. Money, media and Mel Gibson: In suburban Chicago, the Coalition for Canceled Priests uses aggressive tactics in a bid to reinstate sidelined clerics, the Chicago Tribune’s John Keilman reports.
From billboards featuring men in Roman collars declaring “Not one more penny! Until you reinstate our priests” to a viral endorsement from Mel Gibson, the group’s tactics “reflect its belief that public and financial pressure are more likely to get results than working through the church hierarchy,” according to the Tribune.
CONTINUE READING: Continue reading “What Will Be The Top Religion Stories Of 2022? Here Are A Few Leading Possibilities,” by Bobby Ross, Jr.