Glimpse of the future

The Guardian is reporting that the BBC’s Roger Bolton has attacked national newspapers and television for failing to “power up” coverage of religious belief at a time when faith is playing a role in driving genocide and war. 

I’m not sure, from this article, where Roger is coming from, but former religious affairs correspondent from The Times, Ruth Gledhill doesn’t care. She said:

after the 9/11 attacks on New York’s World Trade Center that “Islam as a subject was taken up by our crime, terror correspondents” while initiatives such as the “big society” attracted political and social affairs journalists. Gledhill said the concentration on traditional media was wrong. She is now a contributing editor for the Christian Today website and has found the internet is where most religious expression is taking place for millions of people.

So Ruth Gledhill doesn’t see the need for specialised press coverage of religious belief at this time.

Guess who disagrees? 

Aaqil Ahmed, the BBC head of religion and ethics said: 

“Religious literacy is far too important just to be left in the hands of people who are not subject specialists. I think you need both.”“Replying to criticism that BBC cuts and the pressures of the 24-hour news cycle had stripped out specialists, he said: “There are a lot of conversations with BBC News. There is a different leadership in BBC News, understanding exactly the world is different.”

I can’t make head or tail of that. What does “understanding exactly the world is different” actually mean, or is there a typo in there, or a missing word.

“He said editors, including director of news and current affairs James Harding, had attended a recent meeting with Muslim academics covering “the rise of religiosity in young Muslim children, the Trojan horse schools, which are not one-offs, they are a glimpse of the future.“We have to find out the right way of telling that particular story. That notion has landed.”

It is not completely clear who is saying “the rise of religiosity in young Muslim children, the Trojan horse schools, which are not one-offs, they are a glimpse of the future.” Is that Aaqil Ahmed, James Harding or is it merely the general opinion of Muslim “academics”?

I don’t like the sound of this much. This is a glimpse of a future I dread. I do wish people would make themselves clear. 

Next London Mayor?

Here’s a pretty clear glimpse of the future. Well, it’s clear, but not very pretty.