#  Reporting on Religion with Empathy 

 





Now working as an award-winning reporter on religion for the AP, **Tiffany Stanley, MDiv '10**, relies on key skills she learned and strengthened at HDS.



 

April 25, 2025

 

 

     ![Tiffany Stanley headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum5526/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-05/Tiffany%20Stanley%20crop.jpg?itok=JgEweZKf) 

Tiffany Stanley, MDiv '10



 



 

*Tiffany Stanley, MDiv ’10, Reporter and editor on the global religion team, Associated Press (Washington, DC)*

*View* [*more stories*](/community-life/career-services/alumni-career-snapshots "Alumni Career Snapshots") *on HDS alumni and their career paths.*

## Describe the work you do today:

I report on religion for the AP, in addition to editing the work of my colleagues who cover religion across the globe. Before that, I helped create Religion & Politics (now Arc), an online journal at Washington University in St. Louis. I have written for The New Republic, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Politico, and more. My work has been a finalist for a National Magazine Award, anthologized in The Best American Magazine Writing, and honored with top awards from the Religion News Association.

## How has your HDS degree influenced your career journey?

The professional connections I made, and the internship experiences I gained during my time at HDS led directly to getting a job at a magazine in Washington, D.C., which I started the summer after graduation. I have been reporting on the intersection of religion and politics ever since. In my work, I often refer back to my academic knowledge of religion, especially American religious history and the many scholarly experts who can help inform my reporting. Perhaps more surprisingly, I find resonances of pastoral care in my work. When I report on difficult situations and with people who have suffered trauma, I rely on the chaplaincy training I received during my time at HDS. Though journalism is a very different practice than chaplaincy, I believe that training helps me better bear witness and be a more empathetic listener.

## What career advice would you offer to current HDS students?

A degree from HDS isn't necessary to cover religion well as a journalist, but it can be such an asset. You have found yourself at one of the best-resourced institutions in the world. Utilize the school's flexible curriculum to your advantage. Be open to taking classes across disciplines and subjects. Read widely and get to know your classmates, the staff, and professors. If you are interested in pursuing journalism, use your time in graduate school to do as many internships in media as you can. Build not just your portfolio of scholarly writing but also your journalism clips.



 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Alumni News and Profiles ](/discover-stories-about/alumni-news-and-profiles)