Pagans make the news in two ways: when something has gone wrong, and at the end of October. This guide is meant to help reporters and editors cover Pagan communities accurately in both cases and in all the others.
Third edition, 2024. First published in 2017. Prepared with the advice of working reporters and editors.
Press Contact
Our press volunteers answer most inquiries within one business day, and sooner on deadline if you say so in your subject line. Write to press@paganednet.org. We can provide background, check terminology, and, where possible, introduce you to Pagans in your area who are willing to be interviewed.
Pagan EdNet speaks for itself and its programs. It does not speak for all Pagans, and no organization does.
Style and Usage
| Term | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Pagan, Paganism | Capitalize when referring to the contemporary religions or their members, as with other religions. Lowercase only for the historical or figurative sense. |
| Wicca, Wiccan | Always capitalized. Wicca is the religion. A Wiccan is a member. Wicca is one Pagan religion among several, so the two words are not interchangeable. |
| Witch, Witchcraft | Capitalize when it is a person's religious identity or names the religion. Use it only for people who use it of themselves. It applies to any gender. |
| warlock | Do not use for a male Witch. Many practitioners consider it an insult. |
| Druid, Heathen | Capitalize as names of religious identities. Do not describe Heathens as Wiccans or the reverse. |
| coven, grove, kindred | Lowercase. Local groups of Wiccans, Druids, and Heathens respectively. Do not use "cult" or "sect." |
| ritual, ceremony, worship | All are acceptable for a Pagan religious service. Avoid "seance," "rite of black magic," and similar phrases. |
| priestess, priest, clergy | Use the title the person uses. "Self-described" and "so-called" are not needed. |
| magic, spell | If relevant, explain briefly: a ritual act of focused intention, comparable in purpose to prayer. Avoid "white magic" and "black magic." |
| Samhain | A holy day honoring the dead, October 31 to November 1. Usually pronounced SOW-in. It is not "the Pagan Halloween." |
| sabbat | One of eight seasonal festivals. Lowercase. Not "sabbath." |
| pentacle, pentagram | A pentagram is a five-pointed star. A pentacle is that star within a circle. Neither is a "satanic symbol." |
Six Common Errors
- Linking Paganism with Satanism or the occult in general. They are unrelated. If a story is about a crime, do not describe it as "ritualistic" or "occult" on the strength of candles, symbols, or a suspect's reading matter.
- Treating a religion as a novelty. "Real-life witches" and "believe it or not" framing tells readers that the subject need not be taken seriously.
- Illustrating with stock images. Pointed hats, cauldrons, and green faces do not belong beside a story about a religious community. Neither do images from horror films.
- Using the past tense. Pagans are a living community, not a revival of something dead.
- Letting one voice stand for all. Traditions differ. Say which tradition a source belongs to.
- Seeking "balance" from a hostile source. A feature on a religious community's festival does not need a comment from someone who condemns that religion, any more than a feature on another faith's holiday would.
Sourcing
- Ask how people identify, and use that term. Ask for the name of their tradition and how long they have practiced.
- Look for experience. Clergy and long-standing members of established groups can give context that a newcomer cannot.
- Verify titles lightly. There is no central registry of Pagan clergy. Asking which group ordained or initiated a person, and when, is reasonable and not offensive.
- Be cautious with self-appointed spokespeople. A person who claims to speak for all Witches or all Pagans does not.
- Scholars help. Academic researchers in religious studies have written extensively on contemporary Paganism and can provide independent context.
Privacy
This is the point on which we most often hear from Pagans after a story has run. Many are not public about their religion. Being named in print can affect a job, a custody case, or a family relationship.
- Ask every source, directly, how they wish to be identified, and whether their employer, family, and neighbors know their religion.
- Many Pagans use a religious name in their community. If a source asks to be identified by that name, consider the request as you would any request to limit identification for safety, and explain your organization's policy.
- Do not identify other people present at a ritual without their consent.
- Do not publish the location of a private ritual site or a home where a group meets.
- Do not report a person's religion when it is not relevant to the story.
Photography and Recording
- Ask the organizers before photographing or recording any ritual, and ask what may not be photographed. Some groups do not permit photography once a rite has begun.
- Ask before photographing an altar, and do not move or touch anything on it.
- Give people who do not wish to appear a chance to step out of the frame.
- Choose images that show what the event was: people gathered, a shared meal, a seasonal altar. Avoid the single most dramatic image if it misrepresents the whole.
Seasonal Coverage
If you are assigned the late-October story, consider one of these in place of "meet a real witch."
- How a local family keeps Samhain as a day of remembrance for its dead.
- Pagans in ordinary roles: a nurse, a veteran, a teacher, a farmer, and what their religion means in that work.
- An interfaith service project in which a Pagan group takes part.
- How local schools and employers handle requests for religious leave by members of minority faiths.
- A hospital chaplain on caring for patients of unfamiliar religions.
The other seven festivals of the Wheel of the Year also make good stories, and they come without the costume shop. The winter and summer solstices are the easiest to photograph.
Covering Conflict
When the story is a dispute over a zoning permit, a school dress code, or a custody ruling, the religion of the people involved is relevant, and accuracy matters most. Describe the religion in one neutral sentence. Report what the law requires. Attribute characterizations of the religion to those who make them, and give the people concerned a chance to describe their own practice. Our Know Your Rights pages summarize the legal background.
Quick Background
A session for reporters and journalism students based on this guide is offered each year. See the Events Calendar.