Religious literacy - much needed insight in dealing with and writing about world affairs

Originally posted on Beside The Creek. Re-posted here with permission.

What is Religious Literacy?

Get the gist of what Religious Literacy is all about

by exploring Lapidomedia.

LAPIDO MEANS TO SPEAK UP in the Acholi dialect of Northern Uganda.  Religiously literate media work helped to end a war there between 2003-5.  We were founded by journalists to advocate for greater awareness of the faith dimension in policy, governance, and conflict in the UK and abroad.

Many news stories do not make sense - whether to journalists or policy makers who feed off what they report - without understanding religion. Lapido Media is an internationally networked, British-based philanthro-media charity, founded in 2005, that seeks to increase understanding among journalists and opinion formers of the way religion shapes world affairs. 

It’s called religious literacy.  We run media briefings, publish research and essays and work with journalists around the world.  Our stringers practise on our website the kind of religiously literate journalism we wish to see, going deeper to the sources of social motivations, and providing a resource for other journalists.  And we work with civil society groups on campaigns and media strategy to improve the flow and quality of stories with a religion dimension. 

Lapido Media e-newsletter - View email in browser | Forward to a friend THE DAWKINS EFFECT ON RELIGIOUS DEBATE – AN APPRAISAL HAVE New Atheism and Richard Dawkins contributed to or hindered our understanding of modern faith? Read more here>> EGYPT EXPORTS INTERFAITH 'BRIDGE' AS IRAN comes in from the cold, Iranian-born artist highlighted among 47 Middle Eastern works coming to London. Read more here>> TOP PICKS FROM OUR WORLD MEDIA WATCH AS the 100th Armenian genocide anniversary approaches, initial delight in Turkey's AKP government among Christians sours amidst rising sectarianism (Al-Monitor). Meanwhile, the World Bank gets religion as its president declares 'we have to have the partnership of religious leaders' to end extreme poverty (Washington Post). Finally, to mark Holocaust Day last week, the story of a Muslim country–the only European nation to boast a larger Jewish population than it had before the war (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).