The Media and Religion
Create a table with two columns of the 7 comparative points mentioned in the following article.
MEDIA
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RELIGION
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RELIGION AND THE NEWS MEDIA
By Avery Cardinal Dulles 1918-2008
Many of the difficulties between the church and the press can be explained if one takes account of the nature of the church's message and the communicative powers of journalism. The two are, I believe, in necessary tension. Seven points of contact may be mentioned.
First, the account of the church's message is the holy mystery of God's presence and redemptive activity in Jesus Christ. This is a mystery of faith, to be approached in a posture of reverent worship. The press is by nature investigative and, one might almost say, iconoclastic. Far from being reverent, it revels in exposing what is pretentious, false and scandalous. The Catholic Church, with its exalted claims, is a particularly tempting target.
By Avery Cardinal Dulles 1918-2008
Many of the difficulties between the church and the press can be explained if one takes account of the nature of the church's message and the communicative powers of journalism. The two are, I believe, in necessary tension. Seven points of contact may be mentioned.
First, the account of the church's message is the holy mystery of God's presence and redemptive activity in Jesus Christ. This is a mystery of faith, to be approached in a posture of reverent worship. The press is by nature investigative and, one might almost say, iconoclastic. Far from being reverent, it revels in exposing what is pretentious, false and scandalous. The Catholic Church, with its exalted claims, is a particularly tempting target.
Second, the essential message of the church is the one and eternal Gospel. Convinced of the permanent validity of God's revelation in Christ, the church seeks to maintain continuity with its own past. It cherishes stability and shuns innovation. The press, by contrast, lives off novelty. It thrives on the ephemeral and panders to the "itching ears" of its readers. In reporting religious news, it accents what is new and different, thus giving the impression that the church is in continual turmoil.
Third, the church seeks to promote unity and reconciliation, minimising discord and dissent. The news media, however, specialise in disagreement and conflict, which evidently arouse greater interest and boost circulation. A story without a struggle between contending parties will frequently be turned down as dull. If "no news is good news", it follows that good news is hardly newsworthy. Understandably, therefore, the press tends to give the impression that the church is divided into warring factions and that every point of dogma is hotly contested within the church itself.
Fourth, the church seeks to dispose people to receive interior grace with a view to eternal salvation. These spiritual blessings, however, are not sufficiently concrete to make good copy. The press, therefore, tends to overlook the spiritual side of the church's mission and to concentrate on more tangible phenomena. Doctrinal pronouncements of the church are of little interest to the popular media unless they have a bearing on the usual face of the press. Church teaching is very selectively reported, often in such a way as to leave the impression that the Pope is chiefly interest in sex, politics and power.
Fifth, the press in a democratic society tends to import democratic criteria into its assessment of any organisation. It has great difficulty in appreciating a hierarchical society in which the leaders hold their authority not from people but from Christ, by apostolic succession. Any effort by the church to control the teaching of its own members is regarded as equivalent to censorship of the press by the state. Journalism, therefore, has a built-in bias against the authoritative teaching of popes and bishops, especially where that teaching runs against the ethos of contemporary democratic culture. The disobedient priest and the dissident theologian are lionised as champions of freedom.
Sixth, the teaching of the church on matters of belief and moral practice is frequently complex and subtle. As a result of hundreds of years of acute theological analysis, it deals with fine points that cannot be expressed without technical terms. The precise distinctions of dogma and moral teaching demand a degree of attention that cannot be expected of the average reader. The press and the electronic media are hungry for stories that are short, simple and striking. If they report doctrinal statements at all, they slur over nuances and qualifications that may be crucial.
Seventh, the church aims to persuade its hearers of the truth of revelation. It seeks to arouse a firm commitment to its creed and to the following of Christ. Journalism, by contrast, intends to report facts that are accessible even to unbelievers and to give and account that is acceptable to people of any or no religious belief. The secular press cannot presuppose or assert the truth of revelation is interpreted in any particular faith.
For these and other reasons, which readers of this magazine can no doubt supply, a permanent in-built tension exists between the church and the popular media of communication. The church cannot reply primarily on secular journalism to communicate its message to its own members. The formation of Catholics normally takes place in a context of faith and worship. The ideal framework for such formation is the liturgy, where the celebrant is able to preach on the word of God. Beyond this, religious education can be conducted in the family, in catechetical instruction and in Catholic school. Religious news, including current official teaching, is most suitably conveyed in a ecclesial environment rather than through the press.
There is clearly a place for religiously oriented journalism that tries to offset the natural bias of the media to which I have called attention. The Christian press should consciously endeavour to present the church as it understands itself with the emphases that flow from faith. This ecclesially responsible segment of press, while trying to reach out to a broader public, will be on guard against the temptation to indulge in iconoclasm and to exploit the popular appetite for the sensational and the scandalous. While censorship by church authorities is not desirable, a measure of self-censorship on the part of editors and reporters may properly be expected.
Without prejudice to the religious press, it must be recognised that many Catholics learn about what is happening in their church primarily, or in great part, from the secular media. It is also true that the church has a responsibility to communicate not only with its own members but with the general public. The popular media of communication have a legitimate interest in religious news. It would be neither desirable nor possible to keep the Catholic church out of the secular press.
This being the case, greater efforts must be made from both sides to bridge the communication barriers between the church and the popular media. From inside the church vast improvements have been made in recent decades, but there is still a long way to go. It seems to be generally agreed that the church could do a much better job publicising its views on controversial issues such as marriage and divorce, contraception, homosexuality, abortion or women's ordination. The doctrinal pronouncements of Roman authorities are often expressed in precise, juridical terms and issued in an authoritative tone that is disconcerting to people accustomed to discussion and argument. I personally believe that the official positions of the Catholic church are consonant with reason and favourable to human dignity, but they are too easily portrayed as arbitrary and dehumanising.
Third, the church seeks to promote unity and reconciliation, minimising discord and dissent. The news media, however, specialise in disagreement and conflict, which evidently arouse greater interest and boost circulation. A story without a struggle between contending parties will frequently be turned down as dull. If "no news is good news", it follows that good news is hardly newsworthy. Understandably, therefore, the press tends to give the impression that the church is divided into warring factions and that every point of dogma is hotly contested within the church itself.
Fourth, the church seeks to dispose people to receive interior grace with a view to eternal salvation. These spiritual blessings, however, are not sufficiently concrete to make good copy. The press, therefore, tends to overlook the spiritual side of the church's mission and to concentrate on more tangible phenomena. Doctrinal pronouncements of the church are of little interest to the popular media unless they have a bearing on the usual face of the press. Church teaching is very selectively reported, often in such a way as to leave the impression that the Pope is chiefly interest in sex, politics and power.
Fifth, the press in a democratic society tends to import democratic criteria into its assessment of any organisation. It has great difficulty in appreciating a hierarchical society in which the leaders hold their authority not from people but from Christ, by apostolic succession. Any effort by the church to control the teaching of its own members is regarded as equivalent to censorship of the press by the state. Journalism, therefore, has a built-in bias against the authoritative teaching of popes and bishops, especially where that teaching runs against the ethos of contemporary democratic culture. The disobedient priest and the dissident theologian are lionised as champions of freedom.
Sixth, the teaching of the church on matters of belief and moral practice is frequently complex and subtle. As a result of hundreds of years of acute theological analysis, it deals with fine points that cannot be expressed without technical terms. The precise distinctions of dogma and moral teaching demand a degree of attention that cannot be expected of the average reader. The press and the electronic media are hungry for stories that are short, simple and striking. If they report doctrinal statements at all, they slur over nuances and qualifications that may be crucial.
Seventh, the church aims to persuade its hearers of the truth of revelation. It seeks to arouse a firm commitment to its creed and to the following of Christ. Journalism, by contrast, intends to report facts that are accessible even to unbelievers and to give and account that is acceptable to people of any or no religious belief. The secular press cannot presuppose or assert the truth of revelation is interpreted in any particular faith.
For these and other reasons, which readers of this magazine can no doubt supply, a permanent in-built tension exists between the church and the popular media of communication. The church cannot reply primarily on secular journalism to communicate its message to its own members. The formation of Catholics normally takes place in a context of faith and worship. The ideal framework for such formation is the liturgy, where the celebrant is able to preach on the word of God. Beyond this, religious education can be conducted in the family, in catechetical instruction and in Catholic school. Religious news, including current official teaching, is most suitably conveyed in a ecclesial environment rather than through the press.
There is clearly a place for religiously oriented journalism that tries to offset the natural bias of the media to which I have called attention. The Christian press should consciously endeavour to present the church as it understands itself with the emphases that flow from faith. This ecclesially responsible segment of press, while trying to reach out to a broader public, will be on guard against the temptation to indulge in iconoclasm and to exploit the popular appetite for the sensational and the scandalous. While censorship by church authorities is not desirable, a measure of self-censorship on the part of editors and reporters may properly be expected.
Without prejudice to the religious press, it must be recognised that many Catholics learn about what is happening in their church primarily, or in great part, from the secular media. It is also true that the church has a responsibility to communicate not only with its own members but with the general public. The popular media of communication have a legitimate interest in religious news. It would be neither desirable nor possible to keep the Catholic church out of the secular press.
This being the case, greater efforts must be made from both sides to bridge the communication barriers between the church and the popular media. From inside the church vast improvements have been made in recent decades, but there is still a long way to go. It seems to be generally agreed that the church could do a much better job publicising its views on controversial issues such as marriage and divorce, contraception, homosexuality, abortion or women's ordination. The doctrinal pronouncements of Roman authorities are often expressed in precise, juridical terms and issued in an authoritative tone that is disconcerting to people accustomed to discussion and argument. I personally believe that the official positions of the Catholic church are consonant with reason and favourable to human dignity, but they are too easily portrayed as arbitrary and dehumanising.