Christian Journalism?

"A slim, bespectacled former Marxist from a Russian Jewish background, Olasky is a journalism professor and editor of World magazine... American welfare policy had come to an impasse: Though welfare had done some good for those who needed only a temporary boost to get back on their feet, it had also created a permanent underclass - the chronically poor, whose poverty was related to social pathologies such as alcohol addiction, drug abuse, fatherless homes, and crime. Every on both sides of the political aisle agreed that welfare needed to be reformed, but no one knew how to do it... In researching the vast proliferation of Christian charities in the nineteenth century, often dubbed the Benevolent Empire, Olasky found that the churches specialized in personal assistance that didn't just hand out money; they helped people change their lives, focusing on job training and education. They required that the poor do some useful work, giving them a chance to rebuild their dignity by making a worthwhile contribution to society. They helped outcasts to build a social network - to reconnect with family and church for ongoing support and accountability. Most of all, they addressed the moral and spiritual needs that lie at the heart of dysfunctional behavior.

Clearly, this goes beyond what any government can do. In fact, government aid can actually make things worse. By handing out welfare checks impersonally to all who qualify, without addressing the underlying behavioral problems, the government in essence "rewards" antisocial and dysfunctional patterns."

Quoted from "Total Truth: Liberating Christianity From Its Cultural Captivity" by Nancy Pearcey, page 61

Olasky also wrote a book suggesting how Christian journalism looks like in Telling The Truth . Do check it out!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: The Sad State of Christian Journalism
1. Biblical Objectivity
2. Directed Reporting
3. A Great Cloud of Journalistic Witnesses
4. Field Reporting and Interviewing
5. Organizing for Readability
6. The Streets Declare the Sinfulness of Man
7. Investigating and Profiling
8. Leads, Nut Grafs, Bodies, Ends, Headlines
9. Theocentrism or Egocentrism?
10. Biblically Directed Reviewing
11. First Person Accounts and Sports Stories
12. Modern Journalism Emerges
13. Overview of Start-up Considerations
14. Journalistic Ethics in an Era of Subjectivity

Appendices:
A. Line-by-Line Editing: Example
B. McDowall's Defense of Biblical Sensationalism
C. The Decline of American Journalism
D. A Christian Journalism Revival?