An Interview with Robert Downen, the reporter who broke the SBC abuse story

Check out this article from Sojourners about why Religion Journalism matters so much.

A few weeks ago, on one of those perfect 68° November days in Austin, Rob Downen and I sat on a patio drinking margaritas. We’d been friends online for a few years, but this was our first chance to hang out in person. We talked about childhood faith, personal ethics, and our shared commitments to making sure nefarious religious leaders are held accountable and democracy works for all people.

At one point, over my empty glass, I looked at Rob and said, “I’m grateful you are doing this work, man. You take a lot of heat for the stories you write, but they matter. They really matter.”

And I meant it. An educated press, covering religion and government without bias or interference, is vital for a healthy society. This has always been true, but it will probably be more important than it has ever been in the coming years.

This interview between Rob and Mitchell Atencio from Sojouners does a great job capturing the heart of our conversation that day and much more. It also highlights the importance of a free press to provide accountability for the power that pastors and political figures often wield in the name of God. I hope you find it helpful.

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Why Does Religion Journalism Matter to Democracy? Ask a Texas Reporter

By Mitchell Atencio, Senior Associate News Editor at Sojourners

December 17, 2024

I was sitting in church, scrolling Twitter before Sunday school began, when a headline from a local reporter I followed splashed across my feed: “20 years, 700 victims: Southern Baptist sexual abuse spreads as leaders resist reforms.”

The 2019 investigative report was part of the Houston Chronicle’s “Abuse of Faith,” which uncovered a system of sexual abuse, cover-up, and corruption that permeated through the Southern Baptist Convention. The Chronicle’s reporting has reverberated through all of American Christianity, from abuse reforms to expanded investigations to reshaped denominational priorities and boundaries.

For me, however, the story was always a reminder of the necessity of a robust local news outlet. The Chronicle’s investigation began when city hall reporter Robert Downen sifted through federal court records.

Downen covered religion for the Chronicle before moving to The Texas Tribune to cover democracy and the threats to democracy. As a reporter, he takes seriously journalism’s role as an organ of accountability and a voice on behalf of the community.

What I’ve most appreciated about Downen is that investment in community. To report on abuse in the SBC, Downen had to earn the trust of everyone from powerful, complementarian pastors to radical, queer exvangelicals. His reporting, as we discussed below, is focused on impacts of power and policy instead of being driven by personalities.

In our interview, we discussed how anti-democracy organizing and Christian sex abuse overlap, what reporters need from their communities, and why he treats religious organizations as institutions with power.

Continue reading at Sojo.net.