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!)
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 energy and time being devoted to debunking lies and conspiracy theories. Despite the trend to provide better quality and quantity of information to the public, according to a 2022 PPRI poll, 60% of white evangelical Protestants believe the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump while Qanon conspiracies ravage large swaths of churches in America. While fact checking methods and diversifying one's news feed can be helpful, it seems it is doing little to move people from yelling at each other to respectful conversation. How did the church get here? Is there a theological way of consuming the news? How can we think and act Christianly to the news?
ARTICLE: Information hygiene for social media (S.I.F.T. method)
Practical. Easy to learn. Easy to implement. The S.I.F.T. method, developed by Washington State professor Mike Caulfield, is a must learn methodology when engaging with and sharing media online.
PODCAST: The Pour Over
In a world of 24-hour news coverage, it is easy to get lost in the shear volume of information. Fortunately, the fine people at The Pour Over Podcast are producing three (M, Tu., Fri.) sub-eight-minute podcasts each week that highlight top news while keeping the focus on Christ.
PODCAST: Turn Off Cable News and Booing Christians
Unfortunately there is little distinction between how Christians and non-Christians react to the news, but hosts Justin Giboney and Chris Butler call on all Christians to be discerning with our media consumption while advocating for media hygiene.
ARTICLE: 6 Questions to Ask When Reading the News
The consumption of news from a Christian perspective should be unique and discerning. Pastor Daniel Darling lays out six questions to ask which involve variety, humility, and patience when we engage with and/or share news.
PODCAST: The Gospel and Fake News
Skye Jethani of The Holy Post and Jesse Eubanks of Love Thy Neighborhood team up to discuss fake news, the role Christians play in spreading it, and how Christians can break out of the fake news cycle.
ARTICLE: News as Spiritual Formation
Most of the news on television involves unactionable items - a murder, a natural disaster, etc. - where there is little that we can do about it - especially if it is on 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.
DAILY E-MAIL: The Morning Dispatch and Daily Briefing from the Week
Two daily e-mail newsletters to help you keep abreast of national and international news.
Sunday to Saturday 
You must be logged in to post a comment.