Religious News Service accepts funds to provide more atheist articles

[rug]

posted by Rob Kerby, Senior Editor

Religion News Service (RNS), a prominent non-profit news organization focused on faith, is facing some of the same financial constraints that have led to the demise of numerous traditional media outlets. As time goes on and revenue becomes tougher to generate, newsrooms like RNS find themselves looking for ways to bring in much-needed funds. One of the more controversial models that the group has embraced is accepting funds from special interest groups.

In the case of RNS, The Stiefel Freethought Foundation (SFF), a hub for the atheist movement, has given $65,000 over the past two years to help fund coverage of non-believers and the so-called “freethought” movement. The organization, run by atheist millionaire Todd Stiefel (read our extensive profile about him here), has a very clear goal of organizing atheists, while spreading and advancing non-belief.

An announcement on the SFF web site explains the purpose of an initial $50,000 gift in 2011. Under a section entitled “Accomplishments in 2011,” the site reads, “SFF donated $50,000 to Religion News Service to bolster its coverage of freethinkers with a series of news, investigations, feature stories and photos.”

A separate notation under 2012 accomplishments touts an additional $15,000 given to RNS “to support the second year of its increased coverage of freethinkers.” The SFF made it known that the first year of funding was successful, with RNS purportedly penning 41 stories about the atheist movement.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2012/08/religious-news-service-accepts-funds-to-provide-more-atheist-articles.php

Here is Todd Steiefel sitting down with Glenn Beck's The Blaze.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/blaze-exclusive-prominent-atheist-activist-answers-your-most-burning-questions-about-faith-secularism/

[MineralMan]

1. Ah, now I see your direction.

Oddly enough, I had never heard of either organizations mentioned in your two OPs. Do you believe that they represent atheism in general? I assure you that they do not. Atheism is not political, nor are there organizations that can accurately speak for atheists.

Neither of these two secular groups have anything like the influence or money of, say, the Southern Baptist organization. Nor do they have the membership of, say, the Roman Catholic Church. They are insignificant politically, as well, unlike the two religious organizations I mentioned.

[rug]

3. Which two? The SCA and The Stiefel Freethought Foundation?

And are you saying the Southern Baptist Convention and the Roman Catholic Church represents the poltical views of its religious members?

As to the whether or not atheist groups are political, keep your assurances. They are patently unreliable.

[cbayer]

2. I think this is great.

I would like to see more articles of substance about atheists, agnostics, humanists, secularists, etc. by RNS. They seem very credible and most of the articles are well written and timely.

[rug]

4. What about donating $65,000 for that sole purpose?

Do you see any compromise of journalistic ethics?

[cbayer]

5. While there is clearly potential for conflict, it looks pretty clean to me.

From what I have read, the money is being used primarily to fund a writer who previously did freelance work for RNS.

Stiefel reportedly has no editorial control, and while there was a definite increase in the number of stories about non-believers last year, they were not all positive.

They seem to be taking a very open, transparent approach to this and are wanting to have other sponsors as well.

This can be done right or it can be done wrong, but this looks ok to me.

What do you think?

[rug]

7. As long as there are no strings or indirect pressure, I think it's great. They can use the money.

I highly regard RNS. I can't say the same though for Stiefel. In any event, the $65,000 is a pittance for him.

Maybe Bill Gates' notion of philanthropy has made me unduly suspicious.

[cbayer]

8. I don't know much about Stiefel, but he seemed very forthcoming in the interview.

I've go mixed feelings about the Gates foundation. I attended a seminar with them where they talked about their organizational structure and how their board functioned, but I was not convinced that he doesn't have an inordinate amount of control over pretty much everything.

[demosincebirth]

6. Just curious -- just what are they going to write about in the RNS?

[rug]

9. We'll see.

"Todd Stiefel . . . . has a very clear goal of organizing atheists, while spreading and advancing non-belief."

That is not the goal of RNS.

That said, there are many interesting and worthwhile things to report on the free thought movement, as well as many dismaying things. Let's see if a conflict of interest develops.

[demosincebirth]

10. On second thought, it could become very interesting.