How the Media Have Handled Palin's Religious Faith

Who is Sarah Palin? The question has dominated campaign coverage in the weeks since her nomination as John McCain's running mate. In the mainstream media at least, the answer has focused almost as much on her family life as on her public record. But despite that focus, and the debate over her beliefs, coverage of her religious background and beliefs has often been a peripheral element in the story. These are among the findings of the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, which examined front-page and lead stories among top print, television, radio and online news media. Many news stories have raised Palin's religion, and its implications, as part of her profile, but quite often, in-depth reporting of Palin's religious biography have only been included as details below the lead. Even the media's coverage of her personal life -- including her choice to give birth to a baby with Down syndrome -- did not translate into analysis of the policy implications of her values or in-depth consideration of the belief system that informs her choices.