Religion Newswriters Foundation has received a two-year grant from Fieldstead and Company, Inc. to undertake an in-depth journalistic exploration of the ways faith traditions inspire artistic creativity. The grant will allow our Religion News Service to produce high caliber profiles, features, and trend stories about the intersection of religion and the arts. It will also fund two ReligionLink resource directories of sources and experts in religion and the arts, for free use by all journalists.
Over the two years of this project, RNS will produce 30 news stories with accompanying photos and/or videos for distribution via RNS. The stories will examine the ways art, both historic and contemporary, is inspired by sacred texts, the faith of artists, ritual practice, private devotion, and theological debates. The ReligionLink source guides will be distributed among our network of thousands of journalists and our many partner networks. These resources are routinely used and cited by leading journalists around the world as critical in expanding the types and quality of religion stories produced.
“Nuanced stories about the role religion plays in the creative impulse are under reported in the mainstream media,” said RNF Executive Director Debra L. Mason. “This grant gives the public access to RNS stories and photographs that will illuminate artistic expression as a testimony of faith. It also provides vital source guides so that thousands of journalists will have access to everything they need to report similar stories in other markets.“
RNF is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization housed at the University of Missouri’s Columbia Campus, in its top-flight School of Journalism. RNS was founded in 1934. Our business address is: Religion Newswriters Foundation, 30 Neff Annex, Columbia, MO, USA 65211-1200. Office Phone: +1 573-882-9257.
