Winnipeg is known for many
great things: The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Folk Festival,
Folklorama, the Leaf, the art gallery, the Blue Bombers — even for being the
Slurpee capital of Canada.
Add one more thing to that
list: Winnipeg is the only city in the country that has a newspaper that covers
religion on a regular basis.
That’s right; no other
daily media outlet in Canada dedicates resources to covering religion. CBC
Radio used to do it through Tapestry, a program about religion and
spirituality. But the broadcaster cancelled it in December when host Mary Hynes
retired.
So that leaves the Winnipeg
Free Press, which has been covering faith since 2019 when the Religion
in the News project was created.
Since that time, over 1,100
stories and columns about faith in the province and beyond have been published
— not only on the Saturday faith page, but every day through the whole
newspaper and online.
And it’s all thanks to the
financial support from 25 faith groups and organizations, together with the
hundreds of people like you who contribute annually to the Crowdfunder
campaign.
As we kick off the 2024
Crowdfunder campaign (see giving info below), here are some endorsements to
remind you of how unique and special this is.
“Sharing positive and
engaging stories about how people of faith contribute to the larger Winnipeg story helps build community pride and
encourages others to get involved,” said Jeff Lieberman, Chief Executive
Officer, Jewish Federation of Winnipeg.
“We appreciate the
awareness that it raises about news, events, and initiatives taking place in
our community, allowing us to reach Winnipeggers of all backgrounds and
beliefs.”
“Faith coverage in the
Winnipeg Free Press offers us all an opportunity to counter prejudice and hate with factual reporting in a compassionate and
empathetic format,” said Tasneem Vali of the Manitoba Islamic Association.
“The stories shared are
personal, real, and impressionable, encouraging all communities to collaborate
to benefit our neighbourhoods and all Winnipeggers . . . Faith reporting is
crucial for our communities to connect with each other creating a safe space
for us to ask questions that may not be otherwise addressed.”
“I strongly support the
Winnipeg Free Press and its brilliant initiative to provide faith
reporting since it provides a space where
people of diverse faiths can share their histories, ideas, and initiatives
to positively promote what we have in common,” said Payam Towfigh, President of
Manitoba Multifaith Council and Public affairs representative of the Winnipeg
Baha’i Community. “This discourse can unite us and create a sense of harmony
within our communities.”
Added Christine Baronins,
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “Faith stories in the Free
Press provide a counterbalance to the often negative portrayal of the world by
the media. Hearing positive and inspiring stories of individuals from different
backgrounds striving to make a difference gives me hope, even in these
challenging times . . . I commend the Winnipeg Free Press for their innovative
approach to faith reporting.”
“At the Manitoba Buddhist
Temple, we support and are grateful for the Free Press coverage of religious news,” said sensei Tanis Moore.
“We feel it is most
important for the general reader to understand the viewpoints of various
spiritual and religious temples, churches, and mosques in our city. It reflects
the diversity of our population and helps to foster understanding between these
groups as well as those who do not follow any form of organized and traditional
religions.”
“Reporting on religion in
an ongoing way allows people to come to know their fellow citizens better, to understand the deeper motivations of
others’ public words and actions, to grasp the complexity of the interface
of differing values, and to grow in a desire for a fruitful public discourse and dialogue,”
said Albert LeGatt, archbishop of St. Boniface.
“Hopefully then
reconciliation is fostered, hate is countered, complex poverty is addressed,
and civic engagement and peace is advanced. For these reasons, I have a deep
appreciation for the robust faith reporting of the Winnipeg Free Press.”
Today we are launching our
2024 Crowdfunder to raise funds to keep the project going. Your contribution of
$20, $25, $50 or more will help us keep producing stories about faith in
Manitoba. With your support, we will be able to continue reporting about the
important role religion plays in the province — in politics, culture, education,
health and other ways, and also in the lives of people in Winnipeg and beyond.
To make a contribution, go
to https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/support-faith
or mail a cheque to Religion in the News project, c/o Winnipeg Free Press, 1355
Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB R2X 3B6. And thanks!
