But sometimes he takes us to task for things that he might also lay at his employer's doorstep. In a recent column, he rightfully noted that many Americans are unaware that evangelicals are making important contributions to international relief efforts.

Instead of appreciating the selfless work that many committed Christians do to feed the hungry, tend the sick and shelter the homeless worldwide, some liberals want to stop providing American aid through faith-based organizations. (Liberal concern about an evangelical "agenda" is unfounded, Kristof says. Some groups do push the party line—abstinence, for example—but most put material assistance ahead of orthodoxy.)

The real problem is not liberal hostility toward evangelicals but rather widespread ignorance about who is doing what, where and how. It's a reporting problem that arises from cash-strapped news outlets cutting back on foreign reporting as well as the journalistic bias against good news. If relief efforts are controversial, that's a story. If they're doing on-the-ground outreach that helps in small yet significant ways, it's not.

Just to check, I did a quick search on World Vision, the largest U.S-based international relief and development organization. It's also a Christian group that, according to Kristof, "[B]ans the use of aid to lure anyone into a religious conversation."

During the last few months, the New York Times has used World Vision workers as experts on articles about international relief; it has mentioned World Vision in stories about faith-based initiatives; and Kristof has cited the groups in several columns. Googling World Vision, I found lots of references to the earthquake in Chile and other recent catastrophes. But I can't recall the last time I saw an in-depth news feature that looked at the organization's work outside emergency situations. That's a shame not just because it would be good to read about unsung heroes, but also because it's important to know how American aid supports relief and development efforts.

There is liberal bias against faith-based relief efforts, and some of that wariness has historical basis. However, the problem is not just ideological. In today's global and interconnected world, we need more, not less, international news. Likewise, at a time when religious organizations are major political, cultural and social players, we can't ignore them—even, and especially, when they're doing a good job.
 
Diane Winston