Faith and Politics - “The Role of Journalism” with Emily Le Coz

As we kick off a new season of The Weight, we want to take a deeper dive into important topics that the Church should be discussing. We begin with a series on Faith & Politics that will engage multiple perspectives on the role that politics plays in the Christian life.

In this cultural moment, many are prone to rejecting truth and data in favor of partisan opinion. With so much of our news tailored to our points of view, journalists face significant obstacles in their pursuits to report our history as it is unfolding. Many churches exist within a thick social fabric where business, public policy, and the press coexist. In a faith that is rooted in truth, respect, and grace, how can Christians more readily embrace the truth, instead of opting for conspiracy theories and fake news? 

In this episode, Chris and Eddie talk with Emily Le Coz, the National Data and Investigative Editor at USA TODAY. She talks through her experiences with working in local journalism in both Tupelo and Jackson, and she explains the ways in which journalists mediate the relationship between truth and power. Le Coz acknowledges how local news has been drowned out by national news outlets, social media, and even unknown sources.

Le Coz advocates for better education about who journalists are and the work that they do. Le Coz acknowledges how we often operate out of a culture of animosity and fear surrounding journalism, and she hopes that more investment in local news will break those stereotypes. By nurturing a true set of facts, Le Coz believes that journalists invite us into understanding who we are in this cultural moment. In order for the church to contribute to flourishing within the community, Christians must treat journalists with respect as the work to tell a complete story over time. 

Resources:

Check out articles from Emily Le Coz here.

Learn more about Emily Le Coz here.

Follow Emily Le Coz on Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/emily.lecoz 

https://twitter.com/emily_lecoz 

Episode Links:

https://linktr.ee/theweightpod