Compassion in Journalism: What Joseph Smith’s Words Teach Us About News Writing

Joseph Smith once taught that even the smallest acts of kindness hold great power and that as we draw closer to God, we also feel more compassion for others. This idea has a striking and important connection to news writing.

News writing is often perceived as fact-driven, fast-paced, and emotionally detached. However, behind every news story is a human life, a person who is struggling, celebrating, grieving, or seeking to be heard. Joseph Smith’s words remind us that approaching people with compassion does not weaken journalism; it strengthens it.

Kindness softens our assumptions, while compassion deepens our curiosity. Mercy teaches us that people deserve to be understood rather than judged.

When Joseph Smith advised that we should take others "upon our shoulders," he was describing an instinct that great journalists also possess. Accurate reporting seeks understanding, not exploitation. It aims to inform, not inflame, and to uplift, not destroy.

When news writing incorporates kindness and responsibility, it avoids sensationalism and instead focuses on truth, humanity, and fairness. In this way, Joseph’s message serves as a guiding principle: the more compassion we infuse into our writing, the more powerfully we serve our readers and the more honestly we serve God.