Can the press be reformed?
Author Michael Ray Smith’s work on a clergyman-turned-journalist found that it was tried once with limited success.
On March 19, Smith, Waynesboro, will explore an experiment that captured the attention of the world in 1900 when he speaks at a webinar for the Society of Christian Scholars at 9 a.m. EST.
The webinar is open to the public, and registration can be completed at https://scshub.net/webinars/can-the-press-be-reformed-by-michael-ray-smith-thursday-19-march-2026-at-1400-utc/.
The Rev. Charles M. Sheldon, often cited for his “what-would-Jesus-do” question, took over a daily newspaper—Topeka Daily Capital—in 1900 and showed the press how a mainstream newspaper should read if it were committed to privileging Christ as the editor.
Picture that period: It’s 1900. Yellow journalism is everywhere—sensational headlines, Sheldon’s bestselling “In His Steps” remained popular, and Sheldon is given the reins of the Topeka Daily Capital for one glorious week—not as a guest editor but as an editor using the model of Jesus as supreme editor. Circulation skyrocketed with readers buying copies worldwide out of sheer curiosity.
Some readers loved it. Some rolled their eyes. It made money short-term, but the paper went back to normal after the week because journalism by definition avoids a faith-based viewpoint, and readers wanted a product that appeared to be neutral in tone.
Smith examined Sheldon’s approach to mainstream news in his “Jesus Newspaper” and his “Fake News, Truth-Telling and Charles M. Sheldon’s Model of Accuracy” books. He has spoken to journalism groups and academic conferences on Sheldon’s attempts to reform the press.
Smith spent a decade writing for mainstream newspapers including USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Baltimore Sun, even the Grit, and others; he’s taught at universities such as Regent University in the USA and LCC International University in Europe.
His presentation will highlight examples of purposely fake news in America that led to Sheldon’s newspaper experiment. Smith argues that Sheldon was prescient about the future of the press and tried to stem inflammatory news that doesn’t redeem the culture and, worse, ignores the claims of Christ.
Smith has worked off and on at LCC International University as a distinguished visiting professor, professor and chair and guest faculty since 2019.
