Religion Newswriters Association was founded
in 1949 by 12 religion beat journalists gathered to cover a denominational meeting
of Presbyterians. RNA grew steadily throughout the years and by 2006 included
more than 500 members and subscribers, about two-thirds of whom are journalists.
The association
helps journalists cover religion with balance, accuracy and insight. It does
so by providing tools and training, including this stylebook.
RNA’s foundation,
created in 1999, serves to improve the public’s understanding of religion.
Its projects and services reach more than 7,000 journalists each week.
The Religion Newswriters
Association and its Foundation provide dozens of resources. (As of this printing,
all services are free, although some services are restricted to members only).
Click here to visit rna.org.
REPORTING
ON RELIGION 2 A
Stylebook on Journalism's Best Beat
About
this stylebook
Religion
Newswriters’ Religion Stylebook is an easy-to-use authoritative guide
created for journalists who report on religion in the mainstream media.
It includes entries on the major religions, denominations and religious
organizations journalists often encounter; preferred spellings, capitalizations,
some definitions and usage guidelines for religious terms; accurate titles
for religious leaders in different traditions; selected pronunciation
guides; entries on terms used in stories on current topics in the news,
such as abortion and homosexuality; and entries on religion terms that
are not included in The Associated Press Stylebook.
What it
is not
This stylebook
is written for journalists. As such, it is not a dictionary or encyclopedia
of religion. Many religious terms are not included. This guide addresses
the most common style-related concerns in today’s newsrooms. Some
definitions and explanations are included to help journalists with the
proper use of terms.
As we note
in the acknowledgments, religion is not an exact science. Many religious
terms are hotly debated. Translations into English of Arabic, Hebrew,
Sanskrit, Pali and other languages create many alternative spellings,
even within a tradition. After extensive consultation and research, we’ve
selected the style guidelines that are recommended by other authorities
or that make the most sense as we seek to encourage accuracy and credibility
in the journalism profession.
