Neutrality Is a Myth: Why Every Newsroom Has a Religion
By Johan Von Dooney
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…” (Proverbs 1:7)
The modern media landscape presents itself as the oracle of impartiality, the noble gatekeeper of truth untainted by creed or conviction. “We report, you decide,” they say. But such slogans are theological claims masquerading as journalistic mottos. They imply that truth can be told without a God, that facts exist in a vacuum, and that men can judge rightly apart from Christ. This is the central lie of modern media—and it is a lie rooted in rebellion.
There is no neutrality. Every thought is an act of faith, either in the self-sufficiency of man or the sovereign Word of God. If this is true (and Scripture says it is), then no newsroom, publication, or journalist can be neutral. Every report flows from a worldview, and every worldview is fundamentally religious. Whether they acknowledge it or not, every anchor desk is an altar, and every editorial choice a confession of faith.
The Enlightenment dream was simple: man, divorced from revelation, would reason his way to truth. With “reason” enthroned, the press became the new priesthood. But history has proven otherwise. As Paul writes, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). The press, devoid of submission to God, has become not a window to truth but a forge of falsehood—fashioning narratives in the image of man.
Even the facts they choose to report—or to ignore—reveal a bias of godless proportions. Why are some crimes sensationalized and others buried? Why are sexual perversions normalized and faithful obedience caricatured? Because every newsroom has a god, and that god is not the Lord.
Journalism is inherently covenantal. It is a moral act, a public testimony, a cultural declaration. Thus, the question is not if journalism is religious, but which religion governs it. When reporters refuse to call abortion murder, they preach Baal’s liturgy. When networks suppress truth to protect the state, they offer incense to Caesar.
Let us not forget: Satan’s first assault was a question of truth—“Hath God said?” (Genesis 3:1). Today’s media, echoing that ancient rebellion, wields the same tactic. They deconstruct, distort, and redefine—all under the guise of neutrality. But neutrality is not a platform; it is a mask.
What then must the faithful do? The answer is not retreat, but reconstruction. We must build Christian media governed by the fear of the Lord, submitted to the whole counsel of God. God’s law must govern not only man’s conduct but also his reporting of facts, his analysis, and his commentary.
A Concerned Christian exists to answer that call. We do not claim neutrality—we reject it. Our allegiance is declared: to Christ, to His Law, and to His truth. Our reporting is covenantal, our commentary confessional, our aim doxological. We speak not from a vacuum but from the victory of the risen King.
Christian, you are not called to be a passive consumer of narratives, but an active discerner of spirits (1 John 4:1). Do not outsource your worldview to pagans with press passes. Reject the myth of neutrality. Demand truth tethered to the Word of God. And where it is lacking, build it anew.
