From Bad Bunny to Buddhist Monks: Navigating the News Cycle
Dr. James Emery White
Audio By Carbonatix
By James Emery White, Crosswalk.com
Launched by cable news and then driven by the internet, we now live in the world of the news cycle—that never-ending pattern of a breaking news story, limitless updates, public reaction, and analysis by pundits, until the story fades from interest.
And then, of course, it’s simply replaced by the next news cycle.
It creates job security for journalists, fodder for bloggers, endless soundbites for social media,
... and headaches and heartburn for church leaders.
The realities are… well, real.
There is a news cycle that is both unavoidable and often emotionally and/or ideologically inflammatory.
There is an expectation that church leaders speak to the news cycle. No one thinks that a leader should speak to every news cycle—they know that is unrealistic. But every person in your church has one or more news cycles throughout the course of a year that they think demand a response, statement, or a stand from their church. Add up the different evaluations of said cycles, and you have every cycle having at least some segment of the congregation expecting something to be written, spoken, or done.
There is an expectation of what the proper response should be to the news cycle, and it is rarely one that is held by everyone you are trying to lead and serve.
Which leads some to one final reality:
There is no way to win. Or, as some would lament, survive.
Or is there?
Here are five ways to navigate news cycles as both a leader and communicator:
1. Address the significant cultural issues of the day by providing clear biblical teaching that shapes a Christian worldview as opposed to speaking to every news story with commentary and opinion. For example, teach what the Bible says about immigration, as opposed to reacting positively or negatively to every move by ICE.
Related to this is the importance of getting ahead of the news cycle on issues that will undoubtedly rear their head time and again. This allows you to speak to potentially contentious issues outside of the emotion of a current event. For example, a few years ago we did a series titled, “Is It Okay for a Christian to...,” and addressed everything from drinking wine to smoking marijuana, gambling to practicing yoga, streaming Game of Thrones to attending a gay wedding. More recently, we titled a series “What Does the Bible Really Say About...” and tackled such topics as A.I., IVF, and immigration.
Then, when asked about the current micro-news cycle, you are able to refer people to previous messages, blogs, and podcasts on the macro-issue at hand. It keeps you from being pulled into every current cycle while being able to remind people that, yes, you have dealt with this issue as a church. So, when asked to speak to the latest racial slur from a celebrity or politician, you can refer them to the church’s clear stance against any and all forms of racism.
2. Respond specifically to news cycles that transcend the typical news cycle. There is a difference between the events of 9/11 and, say, the monks who recently completed their march for peace across America. Respond to major culture-quakes that leave people gasping for both air and answers, but not every cultural pseudo-event that may just strike people’s momentary curiosity. For example, competing halftime shows for the Super Bowl don’t count.
3. When you address something in a news cycle, respond proportionately. A hurricane in the Dominican Republic that affected a mission partner might call for an opening prayer for victims and their families, and steps the church might take in response, but not an immediate series on global warming or the problem of evil. Today, there are many “levels” of communicating a response, from a social media post to an ongoing weekend series. Choose your response according to the seriousness and lasting consequences of the event.
4. When you address something in a news cycle, respond pastorally. Combine a brief pastoral word crafted to foster faith and trust, and when needed, love and unity, before praying—particularly when there might be conflicting emotions. I think here of the murder of George Floyd and the riots that ensued, or the murder of Charlie Kirk on the eve of the anniversary of 9/11. Call people away from ideological divides toward the larger issues that should unite us all. Here’s a link to an example of what was offered at our church on the Sunday following the murder of Kirk in conjunction with 9/11.
5. Finally, do not become ideologically ensnared by any news cycle; instead, stay theologically above it, lest you lose your ability to say anything at all. The Atlantic recently chronicled how many female Christian influencers were caught in this very trap. The analysis was revealing, beginning with their description of the influencers themselves:
On Instagram, they tend to cultivate a very specific aesthetic: sourdough bread on gleaming white countertops; toddlers running through the yard and husbands coming home from work; Bible verses in wispy fonts alongside instructions for living a slow, intentional life. The captions offer a deluge of affiliate links for supplements and nontoxic cleaning products.
The article noted the frequency such influencers engaged the news cycle with very specific perspectives and opinions. But then came Minnesota, and it became awkward at best. Again, from the Atlantic:
The issue, for them, presents a conundrum: Choosing to aggressively defend the administration’s mass-deportation blitz—which includes shooting a man while he was restrained on the ground, and detaining a 5-year-old—would appear inhumane to many of their followers. But being too critical of the administration would risk alienating plenty of others.
So... [they] scrambled for a third way to respond—a “way of broaching the subject so that they can still maintain their status….” The responses to Pretti’s killing ended up following the same general formula: Refer only vaguely to the events in Minnesota, insert a warning about succumbing to peer pressure and emotional manipulation, and advise women to focus on their families.
In short, descending to the ideological instead of rising to the theological cost them their prophetic voice—no matter how they might have chosen to wield it. “Instead of offering a defense or a critique of the administration’s handling of immigration,” writes Elaine Godfrey,
... these influential conservatives appear to have settled on an alternative strategy. Let’s call it “virtuous disregard.” They’re throwing up their hands, turning back toward their families, and encouraging their followers to do the same.
It may prove to be a helpful strategy in the end. One influencer wrote that she is no longer “interested in being another voice on the internet giving input on current events,” only in pursuing “truth and justice and critical thinking and law and order.”
And that would actually be good advice on navigating much of the latest news cycle for everyone.
Sources
Elaine Godfrey, “Conservative Women Find a New Way to Talk About ICE,” The Atlantic, February 10, 2026, read online.
Related Article
Should Pastors Be Required to Address Current Events and Issues?
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Nodar Chernishev/EyeEm
