2016 Rna Annual Conference

ALSO AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbaIUxpR9Yg Research shows that 9 in 10 of all news reports about Muslims, Islam and organizations are related to violence – war or terrorism. In fact, most Muslim newsmakers are warlords or terrorists. Alarmingly, media representations of Islam were worse in 2015 than any other time since 9/11. Are such portrayals representative of today’s global realities? Are Muslims simply over-sensitive? Are concerns with media depictions of Muslims and Islam in the West reflective of a liberal culture obsessed with political correctness? If not, are there opportunities for change? Moderator: Engy Abdelkader, Faculty, Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. Speakers: John Esposito, Founding Director, Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University; Arsalan Iftikhar, The Muslim Guy; Dalia Mogahed, Director of Research, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. Specia

Lifetime Achievement Award recognition, Presentation of the 2016 RNA Annual Conference Awards. Thank you to the sponsor presenter, "The Shack." We'd also like to thank our lead conference sponsor, the International Shinto Foundation, for its generous support of this evening and our entire event. NOTE: Due to technical issues, this sessions begins a minute or two into the Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech by Cecile S. Holmes.

Just when you think you've got social media all figured out, along come new networks like Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope. And what's this about email and podcasts making a resurgence? Digital-savvy religion journalists share their experiences and best practices for using social media to cover the beat. Moderator: Emily McFarlan Miller, National Reporter, Religion News Service; Sarah Pulliam Bailey, Religion Reporter, The Washington Post; Aysha Khan, Former social media editor, Religion News Service; Nicola Menzie, Podcaster, Faithfully Magazine; Kate Shellnutt, Associate Online Editor, Christianity Today.

In the summer of 2011, the Obama administration issued a new “countering violent extremism” strategy based on building relationships with communities that are likely to be recruiting grounds for extremists. Local police would be at its center. CVE enjoys bipartisan support. Researchers have said it holds promise. Critics say it’s based on simplistic ideas of radicalization and that it stigmatizes Muslim communities. This panel looks at CVE from the perspectives of participants, critics and researchers. It also looks at such efforts aimed at a different population — white supremacists. Moderator: Dilshad D. Ali, Managing Editor, Patheos Muslim. Speakers: Seamus Hughes, Deputy Director, Program on Extremism, George Washington University; Imam Mohamed Magid, Executive Director, All Dulles Area Muslim Society; Tony McAleer, Executive Director, Life After Hate; Faiza Patel, Co-director, Liberty and National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.

NOTE: Due to technical issues, a portion of the recording was lost in the middle. You'll notice a fade down and back up with a different speaker. We apologize for the inconvenience. When evangelical is defined by beliefs (based on a LifeWay Research study with the NAE) the complexion of evangelicals changes. The panel will reflect this diversity and will address the theological convictions that make this group stand out in cultural conversations today. The pastors and ministry leaders on the panel will share how they are acting on their beliefs and some of the challenges they face as American culture shifts. Plus research on the State of American Theology. Moderator: Scott McConnell, Executive Director, LifeWay Research. Speakers: Nikki Toyama-Szeto, Vice President of Global Strategies for Christian Engagement, International Justice Mission; Michael Kelsey, pastor, McLean Bible Church’s Montgomery County Campus in Rockville, Md.; Daniel Escobar, church planter and pastor of La Red, a church that meets weekly

The Nones or "unaffiliated" are already the nation's second largest group. But they're far from a monolith, ranging from fiery atheists to "apatheists," or vaguely spiritual folks who have disconnected from denominational brands and apathetic about the whole business. What does it mean to the public square — and to voting patterns, which correlate closely to religious identity — when one in four Americans are unaware or uninterested in the religious distinctions of particular faiths? Moderator: Kimberly Winston, National Correspondent, Religion News Service; Editor, ReligionLink. Speakers: Daniel Cox, Director of Research, PRRI; Sarah Jones, Social Media Editor, The New Republic; Tom Krattenmaker, Communications Director at YDS; contributing writer USA Today, Yale Divinity School, USA Today Board of Contributors; Scott McConnell, Executive Director, LifeWay Research.

In many ways, women are more religious than men, the purveyors of faith in their communities. They show up for services more often, and take more responsibility for passing on faith to children. Yet they are often denied leadership roles, a voice and even the respect afforded to men in their traditions. How do they cope? What happens when they can’t reconcile their religious identities with their respect for themselves as women? Moderator: Lauren Markoe, National Reporter, Religion News Service. Speakers: Chani Gettler, Owner, Inspirational Living, Inc; Kate Kelly, Founder, Ordain Women; Human rights attorney; Pam Palmer, Activist; Jennifer Zobair, Author.

Experts from the Pew Research Center will present embargoed findings from their latest survey on religious liberty issues. Presenters: Greg Smith & Jessica Martinez, Pew Research Center. Breakfast is sponsored by the Pew Research Center. http://www.pewresearch.org/

Over the past year, a number of stories have surfaced in the news that involve the killing of animals (Harambe, a gorilla who was killed after a child entered his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Cecil, an iconic African lion who was killed by a recreational game hunter, for example). These stories offer unique opportunities for religion reporters to consider a variety of issues relevant to their beats. One such question is how do the moral and cognitive abilities of humans and animals compare? And, what does it mean if these abilities show similarities? In this dinner discussion, Dr. Irene Pepperberg will introduce her revolutionary work with African Grey parrots to touch on these types of questions. RNA member Kelsey Dallas will respond with remarks designed to help journalists think through how they might report on the issues raised by research like Pepperberg’s. Presenter: Irene Pepperberg, Research Associate, Harvard University, Adjunct Associate Professor, Brandeis University. Discussant: Kelsey Dall

Check out church signs across America, and it is easy now to find congregations of Filipinos, Nigerians, Brazilians, Mexicans and Koreans — to name a few. About 75 percent of foreign-born residents in the United States now are Christians, and they are here to stay. Our panel shares some of the names, trends and controversies to look for so we can better tell the stories behind one of the most significant and least-covered shifts in the American religious landscape. Moderator, National Religion Correspondent, The New York Times. Speakers: Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary Emeritus, Reformed Church in America; Jehu J. Hanciles, D.W. Ruth Brooks Associate Professor of World Christianity, Candler School of Theology, Emory University; Gabriel Salguero, President, National Latino Evangelical Coalition; Maria Liu Wong, Dean, City Seminary of New York.

From the Free Exercise Clause to Zubik v. Burwell, questions about how religious rights fit into the legal framework have kept U.S. courts busy since the country’s founding. How did carving out a space for religious accommodation under the law become deafening calls for amnesty? What religious liberty cases currently traveling through the court system should we be keeping our eyes on? Moderator: Tim Townsend, Freelance. Speakers: Sarah Barringer Gordon, Arlin M Adams Professor of Constitutional Law & Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania; Marie Griffith, Director, John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University; Douglas Laycock, Professor of Law and Religious Studies, University of Virginia Law School.

Presenters: Andrew Walther, Vice President of Communications and Strategic Planning, Knights of Columbus; Nina Shea, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Religious Freedom, Hudson Institute; Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, Visiting Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution at The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University, and Senior Fellow in National Security and International Policy, Center for American Progress. Lunch is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.

We hear from experts about how the #BlackLivesMatter movement has and will shape American discourse and policy, including after the first African-American president leaves office. How has it compared to the influence of the civil rights movement, which was deeply connected to black churches? If it is happening mostly outside the walls of the church, is the church catching up to it or has it been left behind? Moderator: Adelle Banks, Production Editor/National Reporter, Religion News Service. Speakers: Kip Banks, Pastor, East Washington Heights Baptist Church; Kelly Brown Douglas, Susan D. Morgan Professor of Religion, Goucher College; Ryan Herring, Editor-in-chief, TheGhettoMonk.com

Greeters: Jaweed Kaleem, RNA Vice President; Jeff Diamant, RNA Vice President; Peter Smith, Conference Chairman and RNA board member

Is it any wonder that some of the best comedians come from religious groups living with their backs to the wall? With so much depressing, even horrifying news on the religion beat, we hear from comedians of different faiths. They provide a sample of their routines and follow up with a question-and-answer session on this complex interplay of faith, humor, tragedy and resilience. Moderator: Dina Zingaro, Broadcast Associate and Assistant to Scott Pelley, CBS Evening News & 60 Minutes. Speakers: Mo Amer, Comedian; Jenna Kim Jones, Comedian; Matty Litwack, Comedian.

Attend this workshop to get an overview of how Google's tools can help you research stories, fact-check, find what's trending, and locate and quickly visualize useful datasets. The workshop will highlight: advanced Google Search techniques and refinements, Google Trends, Google Public Data Explorer, and more — to ensure you're fully covered on how to fully uncover things. Speaker: Samaruddin Stewart, Project Lead, Verified Pixel, SPJ-Google News Lab. Moderator: Brian Pellot, Director of Global Strategy, Religion News Foundation. Sample of Google News Lab tools: https://newslab.withgoogle.com/lessons Special thanks to the Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute for making this session possible.

What are some of the top international religion stories we’re missing and how can we bring those stories home in ways that serve our editors' and audiences' needs? Leading journalists share practical ideas. Speakers: Tom Gjelten, Correspondent, Religion and Belief, National Desk, National Public Radio & Yonat Shimron, Managing Editor, Religion News Service. Moderated by Brian Pellot, Director of Global Strategy, Religion News Foundation. Special thanks to the Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute for making this session possible.

With Rachel Leslie, Advisor for Public Diplomacy and Outreach, Office of Religion and Global Affairs, U.S. Department of State. Leslie works for Shaun Casey, the Special Representative for Religion and Global Affairs to Secretary of State John Kerry. She’ll discuss the office’s work on policy and refugees, particularly. Special thanks to the Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute for making this session possible.