Have we forgotten the Christian roots of journalism?

In her bold and timely book, Dr Jenny Taylor explores how faith shaped the birth of modern news, and why reconnecting with those roots might be key to its survival 

In a world of fake news and disinformation, trusted journalism is fighting to survive. While obscure algorithms and clickbait dictate what many people see in their newsfeeds, professional journalists are losing their jobs and truth is becoming a casualty of the relentless battle for people’s fleeting attention.

It’s into this crisis that journalist and cultural analyst Jenny M. Taylor steps, offering a bold and timely intervention. In Saving Journalism: The Rise, Demise and Survival of the News (Pippa Rann Books), she traces the biblical and religious roots of journalism, examines why the news media is in such steep decline, and outlines an action plan to help it survive and thrive.

Shining a light into today’s bleak media landscape, Taylor urges journalists to reconnect with their profession’s rich, justice-driven heritage. She traces this lineage through the bold voices of Old Testament prophets, the Reformation’s push for literacy so people could read Scripture for themselves, and the Christian convictions of pioneering editors who were even willing to face prison for exposing wrongdoing.

Globally, the roots of journalism are deeply entwined with faith. The first newspaper published in Cantonese in China was produced by the London Missionary Society, and the first Bengali newspaper in India was also launched by a Christian missionary. Yet today, many journalists lack personal experience of belief and often operate from