Journalists often get a bad press. From fake news to phone hacking, from sensationalising news to overlooking positive stories, critics point the finger at people who work in the media.

Yet we rely on the media to give a voice to the voiceless, to hold the powerful to account and to highlight unjust practices.

We look to them to keep people informed, bring us strong opinions to challenge our own and to tell stories to entertain us.

That’s why Christians in St Albans, Harpenden and across the country are being encouraged to pray for the media.

On Sunday May 28th, churches are being asked to include journalists and others who work in the media in their prayers.

As someone who has worked in and with the media for most of my life, I’m backing this initiative. It’s organised by The Medianet, a group of Christians who work in the media.

Why pray? Churches are parts of international and national networks – so a thriving global and national media matters to us.

Churches are communities of believers rooted in local areas - so the local and regional media matter to us. They are vital parts of our communities, and help to hold them together.

From national newspapers to local media and community radio, from websites to specialist publications, from TV networks to blogs, all have a valuable role to play.

In difficult economic and social times - and especially during elections - we need a strong and courageous international, national and local media, working to the highest ethical standards.

Christians want to help ensure we have a thriving media, committed to truth. We can do it by affirming – and challenging – those who work within it.

 

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Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here