The Archbishop of York has said that Christian media matters more than ever in the digital age.

Most Revd= Stephen Cottrell was speaking at the Religion Media Festival in Westminster on Monday.

“We will never understand the world around us, unless we understand faith,” said Archbishop Stephen. “We won't understand our nation, its culture, its literature, and its laws, unless we understand faith.”

He emphasised the need for the public to be religiously “literate” – even if they have no faith themselves.

“Trust is the big issue affecting the whole of society at the moment," the archbishop said. 

"But as followers of Jesus Christ... we prize honesty, truth telling, kindness, the importance of penitence, and the opportunity to start again. And loving neighbour is an absolute non-negotiable core value."

Archbishop Stephen said that accurate faith representation in media is a vital way to restore public trust. 

"Trust can be rebuilt but only when we all feel we are included, understood, represented and have a place at the table," he added. "Even if, in the digital world – that table feels more like the food hall at the Trafford Centre than a dining room table."