Category: Media Watch

Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy law, responsible for the suffering and deaths of many Christians and other religious minorities in the country, was highlighted on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme this week. Dr. Farzana Shaikh, a specialist on Pakistan at the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House, was being interviewed on the programme on Thursday

The BBC reported a news story at the weekend about an aspiring Ethiopian ‘prophet’ who had been arrested after failing to bring a dead man back to life. Whilst this is certainly a newsworthy and interesting story, it begs the question why does the BBC not also report on stories of miracles which do happen

How do we know that/whether Jesus was born on 25th December? And are Christians really so dumb as to think he was born on that day? Grace Dalton considers. In a recent online debate over abortion, I was assailed with revelation that the 25th of December was originally Yule; and that “Easter” is from Oestre,

The American drama series ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ was recently cited several times as an argument in a House of Commons debate on abortion. What does it mean when Parliamentary debate on vital issues is carried out on the basis of fictional drama? Grace Dalton and Graham Harter consider the implications. We begin with Grace. Several

Last week seven mosques were shut down by the Austrian authorities, who cited as the reason that, “Parallel societies, political Islam and tendencies toward radicalization have no place in our country.” In the wake of this, Grace Dalton asks whether Western Europe now has any place for “parallel societies” of all kinds. You can find

In the BBC’s Daily Politics broadcast on 22 May, presenter Jo Coburn asked the show’s guest for the day Jacob Rees-Mogg MP whether his well-known religious beliefs were “a problem” and a bar to his holding high office. Are politics and the media simply becoming intolerant of Christianity? You can find the programme on the

In the BBC’s The Daily Politics broadcast on 22 May, presenter Jo Coburn asked the show’s guest for the day Jacob Rees-Mogg MP whether his well-known religious beliefs were “a problem.” Grace Dalton asks whether baiting Christian politicians about their beliefs on sexuality is now the “new normal.” Marvellously Marmite Moggie was — again — on the

Grace Dalton considers the implications of the Guardian’s article of 21 May. Whilst I’ve seen “Guardian reading” used as a slur on several recent occasions lately, I’ve been appreciating much of its content — however, hints of its readiness to affirm the stereotype of Christians leaning right politically has been frustrating. It was exciting then

It was great to see a Christian sermon — and such a passionately delivered one — being watched by millions on Saturday, at the royal wedding of Harry and Meghan at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. But what was missing from it? You can watch the Most Reverend Michael Curry’s fourteen-minute sermon here and read

On 14 May the Christian aid agency Barnabas Fund reported, “We are pleased to see the mainstream media are covering the plight of the predominantly Christian Kachin, another persecuted ethnic minority in Myanmar. Let’s pray that the world wakes up to the increasing religious persecution in SE Asia.” Here at etimasthe we concur. Their statement