Atheism in Five Minutes - Teemu Taira
44. How Are Atheists Represented in the Media?
Atheism in Five Minutes - Teemu Taira
Teemu Taira [+]
University of Helsinki
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Teemu Taira is Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion, University of Helsinki. His publications include Media Portrayals of Religion and the Secular Sacred (Ashgate 2013, co-authored with Kim Knott & Elizabeth Poole), Taking ‘Religion’ Seriously: Essays on the Discursive Study of Religion (Brill 2022) and more than 70 articles in journals and edited volumes.
Description
It is a widely spread assumption, at least in Europe and North America, that the mainstream media is somewhat antireligious. This chapter argues against this view by suggesting that if media representations of atheism are taken into account, it is clear that the mainstream media, while offering space for debate on religion and atheism, is usually not on the side of outspoken atheists.