27th May 2026

WHAT IS NEWS? 

Am I unique in being cross with many radio journalists who seem to be intent on making news rather than reporting it and hence their aggressive interrogation of today’s politicians, as if national policy is to be made on radio rather than by the legislature? Another way in which our news service is trivialised is by those invited to participate saying, “Thank you for having me on your show” – that rather than seriously participating in a programme providing information and education. I am also intrigued by the way the Today programme ends with its presenter saying: “And now the BBC News“.

But our problems are small compared with contemporary developments in the USA where Fake News has become big business, now aided by AI capable of most deftly modifying photographic evidence. Never was Pilate’s question: “What is truth?” more pertinent. But in the USA such a culture seems to be encouraged from the top with a president making vast claims but failing to produce evidence to support such judgments. Worst of all has been his conflict with the Supreme Court over his tariff policies, with his out-of-court criticism of the majority of judges, who deemed his hyping up of tariffs illegal. “I’m ashamed of certain members of the court. Absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country,” he said at a White House press conference whilst praising the minority who supported his action. Here is a president of a supposedly democratic state challenging one of the basic principles of democracy – the independence of the judiciary from the government of the day.

All this makes our engagement with the political scene increasingly difficult. Whilst historically the Church of England has been described as “The Tory party at prayer” and Labour and the Liberal democrats can speak of their Christian origins, the importation of the idea of Christian Nationalism from the USA is posing new questions about our political responsibilities, which require careful and prayerful consideration. Are we being invited to a new moral politics or is our faith commitment being manipulated for corrupt purposes?

John Briggs