Study Finds UK Media Coverage of Christianity Often Takes Negative Tone

Study Reveals Bias in British Media’s Coverage of Christianity

A recent analysis highlights a trend in British media that often portrays Christianity with a negative slant, despite the significant presence of the faith in the country. The focus of this coverage tends to lean heavily towards the Roman Catholic Church.

The “Christianity in the Media 2025” report indicates that nearly a quarter of articles about Christianity pertain to the Catholic Church, even though the Church of England holds the status of the Established Church.

Additionally, the growing Pentecostal community, which comprises approximately 10% of churchgoers in Britain, has not received adequate attention in the media. This group represents the fastest-growing Christian denomination in the nation.

Conducted by Jersey Road, a public relations agency, the report examined over 5,000 articles from British online media over a one-year span.

Findings from the research show that about one-third of Christianity-related articles adopt a negative tone, while less than 25% are positive and around 44% remain neutral. Global persecution of Christians appears to be underreported, with this issue featuring in only 2% of related stories.

The most prevalent theme in Christian news coverage is personal faith, with 1,635 articles identified. This is followed by stories on the Catholic Church (1,247 articles) and the Anglican Church (846 articles). Other frequently covered topics include politics, public figures, cultural debates, and abuse scandals.

Jersey Road’s CEO, Gareth Russell, commented, “For the past 15 years, Jersey Road has been pitching stories about Christian organisations to the media. Our founding motivation was that the public narrative around Christianity – often influenced by the media – was narrow and stereotyped.

“The report shows some of these concerns are justified and that the full picture of the lived reality of Christians and the impact they are having in the UK is often under-reported.

“But there is also good news – literally. The UK media and public love human interest stories, and the number one theme in Christian coverage is personal stories of faith and the positive impact it’s had on their lives.”