'Religion, Journalism, and International Affairs,' featuring Karen Attiah

The Luce/ACLS Program in Religion, Journalism, and International Affairs invites you to attend this public event.

Religion is always "in the room." From the urgent conflicts in the wake of 9/11 to the pressing issues of today, the role of religion in global affairs is undeniable.

News headlines provide constant confirmation: the murder of a reporter in the Saudi consulate; India and Pakistan at the brink of war; Chinese persecution of Muslim minorities; pro-democracy movements in Syria; Iran, North Korea and nuclear policy — these stories show that the role of religion is woven into contemporary global conflict.

How does media shape our understanding of the interaction of religious and secular forces on areas as diverse as conflict and peace, environment and sustainability, migration and international development, health and education, gender, race, and sexuality, human rights and humanitarianism, and so much more?

As Global Opinions Editor for The Washington Post, Karen Attiah works a beat that covers these issues for the entire world. Please join her and moderators John Carlson and Kristin Gilger in exploring how the media approaches the role of religion in public life, politics and policy, and how increasing attention to inclusion and diversity are bringing more voices to bear on such coverage.

Co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Panelist bios

Karen Attiah is the global opinions editor at The Washington Post, where she commissions and edits commentary on global issues from a variety of international writers. She joined The Post in 2014 as a digital producer in the opinions section. Attiah often writes on issues relating to race, gender and international politics, with a special interest in Africa. She has been a leader in bringing attention and on-going coverage to the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Before joining The Post, she reported as a freelancer for the Associated Press while based in the Caribbean. Attiah was a Fulbright scholar to Ghana and holds a master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University. She received her bachelor's degree in communication studies from Northwestern University.

John Carlson is interim director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict and associate professor in ASU’s School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies. A scholar of religious ethics, his research explores how religious and moral inquiry informs and invigorates political life. He currently co-directs two projects, “Religion, Journalism, and Democracy: Strengthening Vital Institutions of Civil Society” and “Religion and Global Citizenship,” and co-edited "The Sacred and the Sovereign: Religion and International Politics."

Kristin Gilger is senior associate dean for professional programs and executive director of the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at the Cronkite School. She has an extensive background in print media, including serving as deputy managing editor at the Arizona Republic and editor at the Times-Picayune, where she won the National Headliner Award for year-long series on race relations in New Orleans. She currently co-directs the project, “Religion, Journalism and Democracy: Strengthening Vital Institutions of Civil Society.”