Religion(s) in Swiss newspapers: A longitudinal analysis of salience and topics from 1998 to 2022

Religion has long been a topic of interest in news coverage. However, research shows that its representation and prominence fluctuate with different thematic foci, often depending on perceived newsworthiness driven by real-world events. However, comprehensive longitudinal studies of religion(s) in news coverage remain scarce. Addressing this research gap, our study examined the coverage of religion and religious traditions in different types of newspapers in Switzerland from 1998 to 2022 (n = 28,219 news articles) through two forms of automated content analysis: a keyword-based dictionary for identifying religious traditions and a structural topic model for identifying overarching themes. Findings indicate that the salience of religion in news coverage has remained relatively stable over the past two decades, with some notable peaks driven by politicization and negativity. Moreover, we observed a consistent focus on Christianity but an increased attention on Islam, especially in topics associated with conflict and violence. Finally, the study reveals the frequent inclusion of broad religious terminology in soft news topics, such as sports. Overall, the results highlight persistent Western norms and values within news coverage and underscore their societal impact on journalism’s construction of religion.