📰 Is a Pulitzer winner's move from the WSJ to a Catholic paper surprising? Not overly 🔌
James V. Grimaldi is joining the National Catholic Reporter
By Bobby Ross Jr.
“I think the Holy Spirit kind of gave me a kick in the butt to take this job.”
In an interview with the Washington Post, that’s how a multiple Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist described his move to the National Catholic Reporter, where he will serve as executive editor.
James V. Grimaldi, 62, a Washington, D.C.-based investigative reporter for the Wall Street Journal, is leaving a long, successful career in secular newspapers.
Starting Monday, he’ll join the independent religious publication, which reports Catholic news from a left-of-center position.
As the Post described it, Grimaldi has throughout his career “balanced his identities as a journalist and lifelong practicing Catholic. But his new job will merge the two.”
How surprising is it that a top journalist for one of America’a elite newspapers would take his talents to a religious news organization?
My assessment: Not overly surprising.
The changing media landscape has leveled the playing field between big legacy papers and smaller niche publications.
Couple that with repeated layoffs at the Wall Street Journal — including letting go Francis X. Rocca, the paper’s Vatican and global religion correspondent — and a fresh start might sound especially appealing to a journalist of faith such as Grimaldi.
Surprising or not, Grimaldi’s hiring represents a major “get” for the National Catholic Reporter, said Ken Chitwood, president of the Religion News Association, made up of journalists who cover the Godbeat for secular and religious media.
“Quality religion newswriting offers some of the best of quality reporting. Period,” Chitwood told me. “And Grimaldi’s hire reflects the tenacity with which a range of religion news publications bring to the subject — not only covering the topic with balance, accuracy and insight, but with a compassionate criticism that tells a more nuanced story about religion in the U.S. and around the globe.
READ: Politics, Sex, War: Old Religion Headlines Are New Again
“It’s vital at such a momentous time — for journalism, religion and the nation — that we see more hires like this, so that religion news can be recognized even more for its quality and prominence in the wider journalistic landscape.”
Richard N. Ostling, a retired longtime religion correspondent for Time magazine and The Associated Press, echoed Chitwood’s assessment of the significance of Grimaldi’s move.
“This hire emphasizes the importance of old and young independent media serving religious audiences, both online and in print, at a time when some general-audience media are cutting back on religion coverage,” Ostling said. “NCR’s long record of candid reporting from the Catholic left is joined by the conservative and equally sharp-elbowed Pillar.
”The Tablet, also relatively new, informs a Jewish audience,” he added. “With evangelicals, in recent years Ministry Watch, Roys Report and Wartburg Watch have specialized in the latest disputes and scandals.”
Look at the winners of the Religion News Association’s annual journalism awards: Publications such as The Forward — the Jewish news organization led by Jodi Rudoren, a former longtime New York Times correspondent — and The Christian Chronicle, the paper I edit, have fared well against top secular competition.
Ostling mentioned the growth, too, of the still relatively new Religion Unplugged and the 90-year-old Religion News Service — both producing quality journalism with award-winning staffs.
Christianity Today, the leading evangelical magazine, is expanding and adding news staff as well. Kate Shellnutt, CT’s editorial director of news and online journalism, started at the Houston Chronicle.
Bob Smietana, a national reporter for RNS, noted that “there’s always been crossover” between journalists for secular and religious publications.
“Russ Chandler, the longtime religion writer for the Los Angeles Times, was a newspaper reporter, then went to Christianity Today as a news editor, then back to newspapers and eventually to the Times,” said Smietana, who has split his long career with publications ranging from the Covenant Companion to The Tennessean. “David Briggs, the longtime AP religion writer, spent a little time working for the United Methodist News Service.”
A half-century ago, before joining Time magazine, Ostling served as news editor of Christianity Today. When he left, his successor was Chandler, as a CT editor’s note announced in 1969.
In more recent times, Sarah Pulliam Bailey worked as CT’s online editor before covering national religion news for RNS and later the Washington Post. Paul Glader, Religion Unplugged’s former executive editor, spent the past year as a senior editor at CNN Business. Clemente Lisi, the current executive editor, is the former deputy head of news at the New York Daily News.
Ironically, the National Catholic Reporter itself lost one of its top journalists earlier this year to the secular media.
Joshua McElwee left his role as the paper’s news editor to become the Vatican correspondent for Reuters, the international wire service.
Personally, I spent 15 years with The Oklahoman and The Associated Press before joining The Christian Chronicle two decades ago.
READ: How Covering Pope John Paul II’s 1999 Visit To St. Louis Changed My Journalism Career
I knew I was following my heart, but I feared — just a little bit — that the quality of my journalism might suffer.
I was pleased to discover, though, that I could devote myself to my faith and maintain the same high journalistic ethics and standards.
Perhaps the Holy Spirit kicked me in the butt, too.
Inside the Godbeat
The Deseret News’ Jacob Hess interviewed longtime religion writer and columnist Terry Mattingly.
Not surprisingly, tmatt had a lot to say.
Mattingly “admits to grieving what journalism has become,” according to Hess.
The final plug
Wednesday marked the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that propelled the United States into two decades of war.
I wrote a feature for Religion Unplugged on a ministry that’s helping 9/11 military heroes with PTSD who are still fighting a war at home.
Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.
Bobby Ross Jr. writes the Weekend Plug-in column for Religion Unplugged and serves as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 18 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.