Stories with which religious faith has some connection appear in the media virtually every day. After the terrorist attacks in Paris last month, debates raged about Islamic extremism and freedom of religion versus freedom of expression. Then there is the worldwide interest in Pope Francis, the shifting patterns in the practice of faith, and the ethical dilemmas about climate change, science and global finance.Despite all this, in Britain the number of media organisations with dedicated coverage of religion is in decline. No national newspaper has a correspondent solely working on the subject; the only broadcaster with one is the BBC. The view among media executives is that the decline in coverage simply reflects the public’s lack of interest. Contrast this with Germany, where most o