Ethnographic Journalism and the Public Understanding of Religion

The relationship between social scientists, ethnographers, and journalists can be one of tension and mutual, critical suspicion. Journalism can trigger social scientists with its positivistic approach to complex subjects and can be viewed as superficial or simplistic in light of the messy reality of life. Conversely, journalists can become frustrated with researchers’ obtuse jargon and seeming lack of ability to tell a straightforward story about the subject at hand (not to mention their strident resistant to a firm deadline!). This paper revolves around my reflections as both an ethnographer and a journalist and how my research and reporting as part of the “Engaged Spirituality” project (a project initiated by USC’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture and the John Templeton Foundation), led me to explore questions related to the ethics, norms, and aesthetic practices of both fields. It is also based on the reflections and input from other journalists and social scientists involved in the project through a series of focus groups and interviews conducted in Summer 2022 and Spring 2023. I suggest that both ethnographers and journalists might work together to shine light on how religion functions in the lives of actors and societies in a diverse array of locales and from multiple points of view. I further suggest that the concept of “ethnographic journalism” may help journalists mainstream new issues, ideas, and personalities in their reporting.