from Religion Media Centre
The new CEO of Hymns Ancient and Modern, Sarah Sands, says the media has a responsibility to capture a renewed interest in religion. Delivering the annual lecture of the Religion Media Centre, she said people are genuinely interested, curious and open to religion “in a way that they probably hadn’t been for a generation, and so the media has a responsibility to capture that”. If there were a need for the beauty and mystery of religion, she believes it is now.
Her intention in her new role is to reflect the religious sphere beyond the structure of the church: “We will embrace discussion of nature and art and poetry and pilgrimage – I hope it does lead to the church door”. She spoke of the need to find where the audience is and where their interest lies, “and that’s why I’m particularly interested in pilgrimage, poetry and enchantment because that is bringing in people who are not necessarily traditional churchgoers”. Her three principles since starting her role just six months ago are to raise profile, expand audience, and increase revenues.
She joined the Christian publishing company after a career in news journalism, having edited the Sunday Telegraph, the London Evening Standard and BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Sadly, she said, there was a lack of knowledge about religion in the media: “If we are to understand human motivation and the sense of what lies beyond us, it’s helpful to know about religion. But sadly, not many journalists do”, giving a list of notable exceptions including Edward Stourton. However, she added that “the press may not deal much in theology, but it knows the value of a photograph of a spire in the mist, a cathedral at sunrise or sunset”.