This blog site is designed to feature articles, essays, columns and musings that concern the intersection of Christianity and the calling of journalism. To that end, I will archive what I believe are significant and important writings on this intersection. Additionally, I will add my own World Journalism Institute lectures and columns from the WJI newsletter, The Times Observer. Finally, from time to time, I will have my own musings on media events as they rise to the level of my interest.
June 27, 2008 at 9:54 pm |
I’m an award-winning South Asian journalist, currently based in San Francisco Bay Area, CA. I’m interested in sharing my experiences and talk at the meeting of the World Journalism Institute, focusing on STATE OF MEDIA IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, WITH A SOUTH ASIAN PERSPECTIVE.
As you are aware that almost all the countries in South Asia — India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Burma, Afghanistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka — have unique political situation. Except for India, media in all these countries is in pitible situation. It’s literally a danger zone for journalist.
I grew up and got basic education in Nepal, went to study journalism in Pakistan and Japan, and been into the profession of journalism for over 2 decades, mostly in Nepal and the United States. If you’re interested in knowing more about me please Google my name, you’ll definitely find some of my works. Thank you very much,
Ravi Adhikari
PO Box 353
Belmont, CA 94002
Tel: (650) 245-0806
April 10, 2009 at 9:54 pm |
You have to be kidding me, you’re a good journalism program because of some old white dude that nobody has heard about? Go to any real journalism school (UNC, Missouri, Columbia, Northwestern) and you’ll learn that journalism is a secular medium, bring that religious crap in the newsroom and your editor is going to fire you on the spot. It’s called being biased!
Jesus isn’t going to help you explain complex world issues better. Jesus isn’t going to help you explain why Pakistan has conceded power to Muslim fundamentalists. Jesus certainly isn’t going to help you explain Israeli politics and why Lieberman’s party is gaining popularity.
April 14, 2009 at 3:55 pm |
Fantastic. I had no idea that the original presumption of the white invaders that all the people living on all the lands they desired to occupy for themselves, is still so alive.
So, if you can just kill all of us, non-Christians, you’d be so much better off, right? And your God provides all the necessary means and philosophy for that as shown by the Nazi killing right under the cross.
It is not astounding, just revolting.
April 14, 2009 at 4:29 pm |
Il,
I have no idea what you are referring to on my web site. Please explain.
April 14, 2009 at 5:39 pm |
Let me see if I can take your comments ad seriatim:
*I don’t know whom you are derisively referring to as “some old white dude.” In any case, you can check out our web page and see that we have many teachers and speakers in our program.
*Again, your derision about WJI program misses the point that we have always presented outselves as a short, intensive program which is an add-on to the training one receives in more extensive programs. There are prestigious J-schools (you mention some) and we do not seek to compete with or replace them.
*I dispute your contention that journalism is any more secular than any other vocational calling. To argue that only secularists can be journalists is religious bigotry. It is also epistemologically naive (eg, Polanyi, Merleau-Ponty, Toulmin, Wittenberg, Plantinga, Wolterstorff, et al, even Walter Lippmann).
*I agree with you that Jesus did not speak to specific political and economic issues confronting us today. But I would disagree that Jesus did not gave timeless and universal principles for justice, compassion. love, mercy, and equity. While it doesn’t always manifested, the followers of Jesus have an obligation to him to understand and apply his teaching in today’s world. So I would argue that Jesus can help explain and ameliorate the global issues we face.
“Real Journalist” with the New York Times email address, I appreciate your taking the time to respond to my web postings.
April 17, 2009 at 7:36 pm |
Moderating comments, that’s very first amendment-like.
December 16, 2009 at 6:23 pm |
Real Journalist seems a bit angry. And that’s fine, I guess. But if, as Mr. Case suggests, Real Journalists is from the NY Times, maybe he should have a look at the NYT terms on comments. They’re here: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/faq/comments.html. And maybe he should have a look at the First Amendment. I must have missed the headlines about Congress passing a law that prohibited the ability to moderate comments on this web site. No, RJ, I mean *read* the First Amendment. The Old Grey Lady has some interesting offspring.
April 21, 2009 at 5:58 pm |
Mr. Case, your critics above miss the point that this isn’t for them. The whole media industry is for them. Atheists, Agnostics and Antagonists have long ruled the media. This is for the rest of us, we lonely believers in the media who are forced to doubt our minority worldview constantly and who fear reprisals from the Angry Atheist who typically runs the newsroom. Keep up your good work. I know this is not a Right Wing conspiracy or I wouldn’t support you. You’re not telling us what to write; you’re giving us support and a community of peers in an otherwise completely hostile environment. You’re also encouraging the media-skeptics among believers to join rather than boycott the media. Effective change comes from within. (And you might consider disconnecting the comments option from your “About” page, since it will only invite the haters to rant on forever, spewing all the things they wish they’d said to their old pastor years ago.)
April 24, 2009 at 11:17 am |
I can tell that this is not the first time at all that you mention the topic. Why have you decided to write about it again?
December 22, 2009 at 5:55 pm |
Wrting is a priviledge…reporting the news is as well a priviledge… to attack ones reportings from their view point is wrong. We say we give the truth, report the truth, isn’t that what it is all about? Two people can see the very same thing happening, yet each one walks away with their perspective of what they saw, therefore each will write and report the truth as they have seen it.Yet each bring to the table a story that is unique, which indeed does give to the readers, viewers a more insightful reality of what they are reading and or listening too. Our primary principle should be that we display the courage to work together to the best of our ablities and disreguard everything that is going to show any and all forms of hate, and to give nothing but the truth at all times. When we stand before the people reporting, we must first be true to the truth and not opnions, and report in our writings honesty and not show dishonorable conduct or abuse our priviledge to write. We go to school to learn and that is a valuable lesson all on its own, when we hurl insults it doesn’t say much about what we have learned let alone about the school we have learned from, now does it? A school that has students sitting in its class rooms ready to learn is a school that says ” when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” My question is this, what will your teacher say about you? The heart is filled with many things, what will yours report? I hope it is the truth and a geniune report to the people. One can not say that faith has no substance, remember to whom we pledged our aliegenced too, it is one nation under God with libertiy and justice for all.
Merry Christmas
December 22, 2009 at 6:17 pm |
Mr.Case, please continue to stand on the truth. For in doing so great writings will always be told. My former reply is in suport of you, write and report always what our Teacher, Jesus Christ reveals, for we know it is the truth in reporting. If we remain true in what we report on the day that we have to give an account we will hear the report….
February 4, 2010 at 10:11 pm |
Hi there,
I’m a trainee journalist in the UK and have come across ethical issues I’m really stuggling with, even in training.
I just wondered what your thoughts were on hearing something from a friend and then researching an article based on it. Is this unethical? Is it best to stay away from friends as sources unless they explicitly state they would like to be published?
Also, how do u deal with people who really don’t want to speak to, or are very distressed about an incident that you need to report accurately?
February 5, 2010 at 12:03 am |
Hello Me101,
I suggest first research the ethics in which you question, I’m a firm believer in do not do what everyone around you wants done or said. For me, first rule of thumb is you can not please everyone nor can you compromise what you hold true to yourself. As far as a friend goes, examine what really is a stake, did you get true facts that support the ethics at hand, IF you did not, then can it! Don’t wrestle with anything that is going to cause you doubt or have you second quess yourself… its sad, but not all people have ethics as real and or genuine, again it is sad, many use the word loosly, then when challenged they become ruffled angry for they didn’t think their covers would be yanked. On your journey in Journalism, hold fast to what is true and write about the truth that has substance in what you are writing about… I think people want the truth embraced in ethics, they just don’t know who to believe or listen too…Genuine Integrity is almost vanished, but not completely gone, to me, thats what is important staying true to the truth and asking God for the help you need to carry and deliver the truth in writing.