[3][4][needs update] Membership in the RNA is open to journalists who regularly report on religion in the secular print and broadcast media.
[15] In 1999, former RNA executive director Debra Mason said in an interview that the topic of religion is very complex and requires extensive research, something which newspaper editors don't always appreciate.
[16] In 2005, Steve Buttry writing at Poynter Online said, "The Religion Newswriters Association does a tremendous job helping reporters learn the beat.
"[17] RNA was cited by Kenneth G. C. Newport and Crawford Gribben in their 2006 book Expecting the End: Millennialism in Social and Historical Context for helping reporters get in touch with credentialed scholars on religion, leading to better public understanding of religious issues.
[21] In the same year, RNA also published a list of the top ten religious news stories of the Twentieth century, with the Holocaust being the most important event.