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AKARTA: A global network of journalists have launched the International Association of Religion Journalists (IARJ), an organization that aims to provide journalists and analysts with the information necessary for high-quality reporting on religion.

The new organization’s mission statement says that it wants to engage “media leaders, educational institutions and communities on the importance of accurate, balanced and ethical religion coverage to foster understanding”.

“We are a community of professionals who care enough about that to want to portray beliefs and practices — and their conflicts — with accuracy, fairness and balance,” said Maria-Paz Lopez, chairwoman of the IARJ’s Steering Committee, in a press statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Monday.

“The ultimate goal of the IARJ is not to promote religion, but to foster better journalism about religion worldwide,” she added.

The organization was founded early this spring by journalists from 23 countries on six continents.

“Already 400 journalists from more than 90 nations have been accepted as members in less than three months,” the IARJ’s press release noted. “No more than 5 percent of members come from any one nation.”