Media portrayals of religion and the secular sacred: A longitudinal study of British newspaper and television representations and their reception

与一直是学术界关注焦点的媒体中的种族主题不同，令人惊讶的是，英国对宗教的媒体位置和表现进行的实证研究很少。考虑到此类研究对于讨论宗教在公共生活中的退却和/或重新出现的潜在重要性，以及对于检验关于媒体对宗教的无知、忽视和偏见的假设，这一点尤其值得关注。为了解决“宗教，媒体和艺术”的节目主题，在这个为期两年的项目中，我们将对精选的英国报纸和地面电视频道中流行宗教和世俗神圣的当前描绘进行内容分析，以便(a)检查媒体目前代表宗教问题，信仰和实践的方式，以及(b)揭示和解释这些代表中固有的价值观和利益以及构成它们的声音。这一定量和定性的分析将由两项有关的研究加以补充，一项是关于人们在传播媒介中对宗教的接受和体验，另一项是关于传播媒介对广泛报道的涉及宗教的事件的处理。这个新项目复制了上世纪80年代利兹大学（University of Leeds）一项为期18个月的实证研究项目所采用的研究设计和方法，将在一定程度上构成一项“重新研究”。这样的纵向方法将能够对两个数据集进行比较分析，并根据关于世俗化、再世俗化和宗教与世俗关系变化的理论辩论来解释宗教表现及其接受的变化。然而，该项目将更进一步，通过采用分析和理论方法，借鉴申请人最近的工作，并通过提供实践和参与以及学术成果。继先前的研究之后，该项目将集中于四个问题：(1)选定的报纸和地面电视频道如何描绘宗教-包括传统的和普通的-以及世俗的神圣性？哪些类型的报道代表了宗教？出现了哪些关键主题？如何处理这些主题？(2)这些主题的描绘揭示了(a)宗教与媒体之间的关系，(b)宗教与世俗之间的关系？(3)根据他们自己的宗教/世俗兴趣和日常媒体实践，媒体对宗教的描绘是如何被他们的受众接受和体验的？(4)新研究的结果如何与早期研究的结果进行比较？如何根据历史发展和社会学理论解释宗教和世俗神圣的表征变化？这项研究将由1982年项目的研究员Kim Knott进行，他最近研究宗教在各种世俗环境中的位置和表现，如学校、医疗中心、学术学科和城市景观；伊丽莎白·普尔（Elizabeth Poole）广泛研究了英国穆斯林的媒体表现；宗教社会学家罗伯特·托勒（Robert Towler）在1982年指导了这个项目，2002年之前一直担任独立电视委员会（Independent Television Commission）的研究主管；注册会计师Teemu Taira，具有研究新闻媒体中的宗教的经验；以及一个由学者和媒体从业者组成的顾问委员会。在历史事件和关于宗教的公共再现及其与世俗世界观和背景的关系的理论辩论的背景下，将撰写一篇合著的专著。除了两个讲习班，一个是为宗教和媒体学者举办的，另一个是为记者、宗教通讯员和节目制作人举办的（将与之联合编制一套培训材料），还将为社区团体举办两次关于媒体如何代表宗教的信息讲习班。

Unlike the subject of race in the media, which has been the focus of sustained academic interest, surprisingly little empirical research has been conducted in Britain on the media location and representation of religion. This is of particular concern given the potential importance of such research both for debates about the retreat and/or re-emergence of religion in public life, and for testing assumptions about media ignorance, neglect and bias regarding religion.Addressing the programme theme of 'Religion, media and the arts', in this two-year project we will undertake a content analysis of current portrayals of popular religion and the secular sacred in a selection of British newspapers and terrestrial TV channels in order (a) to examine the ways in which the media currently represent religious issues, beliefs and practices, and (b) to uncover and interpret the values and interests inherent in these representations and the voices that constitute them. This quantitative and qualitative analysis will be complemented by two related studies, of people's reception and experience of religion in the media, and of the media treatment of a widely reported event involving religion. Replicating the research design and methods employed in an 18-month empirical research project undertaken in the 1980s at the University of Leeds, the new project will in part constitute a 're-study'. Such a longitudinal approach will enable a comparative analysis of the two datasets to be conducted, and changes in the representation of religion and its reception interpreted in light of theoretical debates about secularization, resacralization and the changing relationship of religion and secularity. The project will go further, however, by employing analytical and theoretical approaches which draw on the recent work of the applicants, and by delivering practical and engaged as well as scholarly outcomes. Following the earlier study, the project will focus on four questions:(1) How are religion - both conventional and common - and the secular sacred portrayed in selected newspapers and on terrestrial television channels? In what types of coverage is religion represented? What key themes emerge, and how are they treated?(2) What does the portrayal of these themes reveal about the relationship between (a) religion and the media, and (b) religion and secularity?(3) How are media portrayals of religion received and experienced by their audiences in light of their own religious/secular interests and everyday media practices?(4) How do findings from the new research compare with those from the earlier study, and how can changes regarding the representation of religion and the secular sacred be explained with reference to historical developments and sociological theories?The research will be conducted by Kim Knott, researcher on the 1982 project who has worked recently on the location and representation of religion in various secular contexts, such as a school, medical centre, academic disciplines and urban landscapes; Elizabeth Poole, who has researched extensively on media representations of British Muslims; Robert Towler, the sociologist of religion who directed the 1982 project and until 2002 was Head of Research at the Independent Television Commission; an RA, Teemu Taira, with experience of researching religion in news media; and an Advisory Board of scholars and media practitioners.A co-authored monograph will be written drawing on material from both projects in the context of historical events and theoretical debates about the public re-emergence of religion and its relationship to secular worldview and context. In addition to two workshops, one for religion and media scholars, the other for journalists, religious correspondents and programme makers (in association with which a training pack will be developed), two information sessions will be held for community groups on how the media represent religion.