By D.J. Marotta | The Gospel Coalition
Published in February of 2021
SUMMARY: Most of the news on television involves unactionable events – a murder, a natural disaster, etc. – where there is little we can do about it, especially from another continent. Anglican priest D.J. Marotta argues that Christians need to be “hyper-local” with our news sources. What this means is being in community with our neighbors, friends, and family where you can respond to information (news) with kindness and love within your sphere of influence.
KEY QUOTE: “The primary news that should matter to a Christian is local news. By local news I don’t primarily mean news about city or state government. I mean something more intensely local, what some thinkers call ‘hyper-local’…You will not find such hyper-local news in daily papers or TV reports. Rather, you will likely discover it the same way people have for generations: through ordinary conversation.”
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More curated resources on how to read the news:
BOOK: Untrustworthy
The late pastor James Atwood believed guns to be the biggest problem facing the American church. Author Jemar Tisby argues that racism and white supremacy are. In Untrustworthy, Bonnie Kristian asserts the largest problem facing American churches is epistemic (epistemic — of or relating to knowledge or knowing). According to Kristian — the poisons of…
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LEARNING CAPSULE: How to Read the News
Keeping up with the news can be overwhelming. Where do you start? Who do you trust? Here is a guide to help you read the news through a Christian lens and with a critical eye (HINT: Think local!)
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BOOK: Reading the Times
From newspaper fact checkers to evaluation methods such as S.I.F.T. to diversifying one’s news feeds, there is a tremendous amount of time and energy devoted to debunking lies and conspiracy theories. Despite the trend to provide more quality information to the public, according to a 2022 PPRI poll, 60% of white evangelical Protestants believe the…
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