Religious persecution is a profoundly human story.
Deeply held beliefs, issues of identity and belonging, power and exclusion, violence and reconciliation all play a role in telling that story, which makes it particularly compelling for reporters to cover.
Yet religious persecution is among the most complex issues journalists can report on.
Across the globe, individuals and communities face threats to their freedom of religion or belief. Such threats include limitations on, not only how people worship and care for their sacred spaces, but also on how they live their public and private lives — because of who they are and what they believe. At the same time, narratives about these violations can be shaped, amplified or distorted by political interests, cultural anxieties and media ecosystems that reward simplicity and dissension over nuance and systems-thinking.
Journalists have a responsibility to illuminate injustice without reinforcing misleading tropes or inflaming tensions.
This guide offers you the tools to navigate the topic as it plays out in the media, offering background, resources and a special interview with Candace Lukasik, author of Martyrs and Migrants (NYU Press).
