Ask the Editor: What guides your election coverage?

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Friday, February 2nd. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. This year’s election cycle began a lot earlier than most in recent memory. And after just one caucus and one primary, the Republican field is already down to two in theory.

On the other side, an incumbent Democrat having built up decades of political machinery and a deep war chest. And then a handful of colorful independents or third party candidates just trying to break through.

BROWN: Politics is challenging enough to cover, but this year’s election politics is in a category all its own, even if it’s likely deja vu all over again. WORLD Radio Executive Producer Paul Butler now answers a recent letter to the editor about how we plan to approach things this time around.

PAUL BUTLER: We’ve received a handful of critical emails in recent months on political coverage. Few things provoke passion like politics! We’ve been accused of everything from being in the tank for Donald Trump, to trying to re-elect Joe Biden. Thankfully, these are the exceptions. Most of the feedback we receive is earnest and thoughtful, trying to figure out the best way forward.

One recent inquiry comes from Sterling Hill—a listener in Waco, Texas. He was dissatisfied with a commentary he felt wasn’t critical enough of former President Donald Trump. He included a question I thought would be helpful to answer here:

“How will [WORLD] cover Trump during this election cycle and into a potential second term?”

Our editorial policies are set with the help of a nine-member Editorial Council. That council is made up of leaders from our various editorial platforms. Knowing that we were heading into yet another contentious political season, the council laid out clear guidelines for our coverage that we hope will honor God and serve our different audiences well.

Let me tell you some of those guidelines, and bear in mind they’re largely aspirational. We may sometimes fall short.

We ought to be fair observers and, at least in our professional capacities, not participants. When we come to work, we come to inform, educate, and inspire, practicing sound journalism, grounded in facts and biblical truth. So let's begin with some biblical truth:

In Psalm 9, David praises the LORD—commiting to tell of all God’s wonderful deeds. In Romans 13 we learn that those deeds include how He establishes earthly governments created for our good. So as Christian journalists we must report on government.

But as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, WORLD does not endorse political candidates, thus we do not have an editorial “position” on any candidate. Our staff, readers, and listeners hold diverse views on candidates and parties. Our job as journalists is not to decide, but to report. When there are competing views, we try to report them all.

We will report election-related developments without respect for persons, treating all people fairly.

We will avoid inflammatory or hyperbolic language.

The 2024 election cycle will heat up, and it’s sure to be exciting and full of twists and turns. But we can report exciting stories without becoming excitable, for our faith is not in princes but in God. For as Augustine said, “nothing can happen but what He intends.”

This election will come and go, but our conduct as believers—especially as believing journalists—can leave an indelible mark for good.

That’s this month’s Ask the Editor. I’m Paul Butler.

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