Pagans and the Media

Today Pagans United officially kicks off phase one of the Pagan Awareness Project. Since early 2004, Pagans United members have worked diligently to bring forth awareness of what Paganism is (and what Paganism is not), and to engage in activism within a framework that benefits Mother Earth. And since 2004, members have become increasingly aware of the need for someone to design tools that are available to everyone (the media, elected officials, the general public, other Pagan activists, etc), so the Pagan Awareness Project began. Our hands are full with presentations, literature that can be sent out, outreach to the Interfaith community and much more.

Having said all of that, here is piece number one! Since Halloween (Samhain) is quickly approaching, we thought it imperative to get this out because, as years of experience have taught us, the Pagan community will be inundated with journalists wishing to talk to a real live witch for the Halloween season. It happens every year and drives much of the Pagan community absolutely insane. So, here you have it folks...

PAGANS AND THE MEDIA: THE GUIDELINES

Over the decades since Paganism entered the mainstream, media outlets have begun to increasingly cover Paganism and issues of concern to its practioners. Since Bob Barr’s 1999 attempt to outlaw the practice of Paganism on military installations, the media coverage of Paganism has hit all-time highs. For the most part, these articles are well written and are, quite often, very fair. There are, however, several points that continually offend Pagans.

It is our hopes that this guide will serve as a way to clear up those points of contention so that your story will both cover the facts without adding to the stereotypes that Pagans continually battle and be well met by readers of all backgrounds.

1.       The words Pagan, Paganism, Wicca, etc should always be capitalized.

These words, like the words Christian, Christianity, Muslim, Jew, etc are proper nouns. Failing to capitalize these words is not only bad grammar, but is consider incredibly offensive to Pagans and will often be met with numerous letters to you pointing out your failure to capitalize.

2.      “Self proclaimed” is a no-no.

Would you call a Rabbi a “self proclaimed” Rabbi? Pagan leaders, just like those of other religions, go through years of extensive training before being granted the title of High Priestess or High Priest. Likewise, calling someone a “self proclaimed” witch is also offensive. If your article is well written and not of a derogatory nature, there is no need to say “self proclaimed” as, assuredly, your article will explain what the term witch means.

3.      Paganism is a religion.

Pagans are not one day a year (read: Halloween) only entities. Paganism is an every day way of life. We have ethics, morals and standards, just as those of other religions do. We do not want to be interviewed only during the Halloween season, when a festival stirs up controversy, or when an alleged Pagan does something morally wrong. Ask us deeper questions than those, or you will quickly find yourself without future interviewees.

4.      Pagans are not Satanists.

Most articles get this right, however, this statement is still worth making and repeating. Satan, or the devil, is a Judeo-Christian concept. Pagans do not recognize the existence of Satan, nor of any other all evil being.When even a single article casts Pagans in a negative light (i.e. calling Paganism a cult, calling Pagans evil, equating Paganism to Satanism, etc), we then have to do years of work to undue the harm that one incredibly inaccurate article caused.

5.      Paganism is not a fad or fringe movement.

Paganism is, again, a religion. Pagans are not on the fringes of society, but are a part of society. We are your neighbors, teachers, doctors, students, friends and family. Paganism, in its various forms, has been around for thousands of years. The Supreme Court has recognized Wicca (a branch on the Pagan family tree), as a religion and has afforded its practioners the same rights given to other religious groups in the United States.

6.      Pagan Sabbats should always be capitalized.

The same sentiments as expressed in item number one are applicable here. Sabbats are to Pagans as Christmas, Easter, etc is to Christians. Failure to capitalize is considered incredibly bad form.

7.      Always research.

When writing an article on Paganism, research is a necessity. This is, likewise, true when quoting someone that says something about Pagans or Paganism. Take for example a recent article by the AP. This article was about violent street gangs and the man being interviewed equated Pagans to terrorists and gang members in one of his comments. This was not only incredibly offensive to the Pagan community, but resulted in this man and the AP receiving countless emails in protest. One ignorant or blatantly misconstrued comment can undue years of work on the part of the Pagan community and will result in your future work being ignored and viewed as less than accurate to the Pagan community. There are many great resources available, and we encourage you to utilize them in order to lend credibility to your article and to prevent said harm from being accredited to your work.

By following these 7 guidelines, your article is almost sure to be met with approval by the Pagan community. One last piece of advice, always remember that your article on Paganism, whether you write for a small time newspaper in middle America or a corporate giant, will undoubtedly find its way to the national Pagan community at some point via word of mouth and The Witches’ Voice.

Should you have any other questions or concerns, we encourage you to contact a Pagan in your area or to email the Pagans United P.R Representative at fallon_glenn@yahoo.com or Pagans United President at moonpanther2004@yahoo.com  for more information. We look forward to reading your article in the future!

©2006 Pagans United (written by Fallon Glenn)