Littau, the son of an Evangelical pastor and graduate of Biola University, a Christian school in La Mirada, Calif., said his editor “made a big deal” of his Christian background, making him feel he had to work harder to prove himself.

The culture of journalism is often perceived as secular, even anti-religious, said Amy White, program coordinator for the Center for Religion, the Professions, and the Public at MU. As a result, journalists of faith may feel out of place in the world of journalism, although this feeling does not necessarily reflect the reality of their situation.

“A lot of the hot-button issues that we're writing about today are ones that people of faith have opinions on,” she said, mentioning the war in Iraq and same-sex marriage as examples.

According to the Religion Newswriters Association, between 400 and 500 journalists in the U.S. “spend a significant part of their time reporting on faith and values.” Religious issues have been especially prominent in the news since the Sept. 11 attacks, said Phyllis Alsdurf, associate professor of English a Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn.

It can be dangerous for journalists to disregard the faith aspects of their stories, Alsdurf said. To help journalists deal with religious issues in their reporting, Alsdurf has organized a conference, Journalism Through the Eyes of Faith: Negotiating Values, Fairness and Advocacy, which will be held from Sept. 20 to 22 at Bethel.

Alsdurf expects about 200 people to attend the conference, which is designed for reporters and editors, academics and students who are interested in the intersection of personal religious faith and journalism.

The conference will feature Christian, Jewish and Muslim speakers who will cover topics including religious issues in the major news stories of the day, the way religious imagination shapes news stories and how a religious commitment can be reconciled with principles of good journalism.

John Schmalzbauer, associate professor of religious studies at Missouri State University, is the author of “People of Faith: Religious Conviction in American Journalism and Higher Education,” which addresses the conflict between faith convictions and journalistic objectivity.

Leah Lohse, a former religion reporter for the Missourian and a journalism instructor at MU, said all reporters, not only those of faith, must strive to keep their biases from affecting their writing.

However, one's personal religious beliefs are not necessarily a deterrent to one's reporting. Schmalzbauer said he believes a religious commitment influences people in different professions much in the same way — a point Lohse agrees with.

Littau said a faith comittment comes with moral and ethical codes that one should follow in every aspect of his daily life, including work, and the same principle applies to the work of religious journalists.

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