Keep an eye on media, Christians told

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34085, 24 February 1976, Page 5

Keep an eye on media, Christians told

I By

KEN COATES)

Instead of being censorious of radio, television and the media generally, Churches need to be constructively critical. This advice comes from IMr A. D. Manuel, director of the print media development unit of the World Association for Christian Communication. with headquarters in London. “Churches should raise the question of control of the media,” he said on a visit to Christchurch, where he met church leaders and communicators. “In Australia, for example, some highly relevant questions are being asked as to why such a small number of people, and I families, own the news media.” Mr Manuel, who was a publisher in India before he I took up his present post, j said his organisation was : concerned with studying means of effective communication. He discussed the problems Christians have with communicating even among themselves, and the greater

problems in getting through to people who do not understand the jargon of organ-; ised religion. Mr Manuel conceded that even what many clergymen; said from the pulpit on Sundays was not really understood by their congregations, i “A study made in Australia among non-churchgoers' showed that they regarded! churches as self-centred, tin-' concerned about others and hypocritical,” he said. The way Mr Manuel sees, it churches have a responsi-. bility to express concern for; people, rather than fori church or government. Un-' fortunately, he added, estab-i lished churches tended to [stand for the status quo and lin many countries were ; , readily identified with offi-! Icialdom. [ Mr Manuel recognised that ; expressing concern for “the 1 ■nothings of society,” as hej i described under-privileged; and oppressed people, would [involve the churches “stick-' [ing their necks out.” He urged churchmen to! imaintain a regular dialogue! 'with people in the media. “If j ithe mass media is left to it-; self, it will perpetuate its 'own views,” he said. “The;

churches should at all times stand for the people.” Mr Manuel’s comments' leave no doubt that there is a problem for the churches! in New Zealand. Within television, for example, there is t: genuine desire to create a siot on Sundays for the] churches. But few religious pro-' grammes have either the: professional quality or the appeal of popular series.] Clearly one of the first tasks to be faced by the churches is the training of people who can communicate through the media. And another task is the recognition of what is worth saying. Church officials these days can be heard complaining that churches are |not news. As selfperpetuating institutions, neither they are. but their concerns about people could well be.