Mission-driven news organizations expand access to vital religion reporting
WASHINGTON — Today, NPR and Religion News Service (RNS) announced the formation of a new partnership to report on the impact of religion in our public and personal lives. The partnership also will help fill the gap caused by the reduction in the number of journalists covering religion as newspapers and news organizations nationwide have closed.
The partnership is funded by grants over a two-year period from Lilly Endowment Inc. to NPR and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations to RNS. The grants have allowed NPR and RNS to hire new editors and a producer to lead this new reporting partnership. The collaboration will create original audio and digital news stories that will appear in both NPR and RNS, leveraging NPR’s national reach and RNS’s deep expertise in religion reporting. The project will engage RNS and NPR reporters as well as a dozen contributing reporters from newsrooms throughout the NPR Member station network who bring perspectives and insights from across the country.
“Religious belief informs some of the most important issues facing Americans. To understand our country now and throughout its history, it’s critical to understand the diversity of faith and the ways in which religious belief helps strengthen communities,” said RNS Publisher Deborah Caldwell. “This partnership will enable RNS to reach a broader audience with nuanced, balanced information.”
RNS is an independent, nonprofit source of global news on religion, spirituality, culture and ethics that seeks to inform readers with objective reporting and is relied upon by a wide range of secular and faith-based news organizations. It was founded in 1934 amid many of the same issues we face today — increasing American ethnic and religious diversity, the rise of extremism, antisemitism, anti-immigrant sentiment, Islamophobia and wars across the globe– to promote understanding among a fracturing country. Since then, RNS has advanced objective, balanced reporting on world events through the lens of religion.
By collaborating with NPR and its Member stations on original reporting about faith and beliefs, RNS will advance its mission of increasing religious literacy, deepening public discourse about religion, and fostering understanding among all people. NPR has approximately 42 million weekly listeners and users across its radio and digital platforms.
“Partnering with Religion News Service will enable our newsrooms to do more local and national reporting about religion and spirituality and is an important addition to our collaborative journalism work,” said Edith Chapin, NPR’s Senior Vice President, Editor in Chief and acting Chief Content Officer. “This reporting will give timely insight and context about religion’s role in everyday life, including world views and civic engagement.”
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About Religion News Service (RNS)
RNS is an independent nonprofit news organization that provides objective, in-depth religion reporting and commentary by a team of professional journalists. Its mission is to improve understanding and foster discussion about religion, faith, and beliefs in everyday life. RNS journalism is available on its website and through its podcasts, newsletters, and social media. To learn more, visit RNS.org and follow RNS on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About NPR
NPR’s rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connects with millions of Americans every day — on the air, online, and in person. NPR strives to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 16 international bureaus, NPR and its Member organizations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners can find NPR by tuning in to their local Member stations (npr.org/stations), downloading the NPR app or asking Alexa to “Play NPR.” The NPR mobile app brings together the best of the NPR Network from around the world and right in your community — live radio, podcasts, the latest local and national news and more — available wherever you are and whenever you want. Get more information at npr.org/about and by following NPR Extra on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and Instagram.
PRESS CONTACTS:
Danielle Wilson, NPR, [email protected]
Terese Kelly Greer, on behalf of RNS, [email protected]
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