The Big Story
It’s been a long, dry spell, but the big story of early 2008 is not apocalyptic climate change or third world political meltdown, as perhaps you thought. No, it’s the return of Coal and it’s skittish author.
I’m going to ease into things today by posting, not my words, but as in many previous posts, the words of Vatican media correspondent John Allen. He offers some badly needed observations in a speech delivered on “Cathedrals and the Media”.
Unlike politics, finance and sports, religion is news only when something out of the ordinary, controversial, or exotic happens, which means that mainstream media coverage of religion is episodic and random. Even when it’s well-informed and balanced—which, to be fair to the American press, it often is—coverage rarely penetrates to the heart of religious experience. Reporting on religion in the mainstream press is often like trying to display a three-dimensional object in a two-dimensional space—only bits and pieces come into view, often producing a badly distorted impression of what the real object actually looks like.
He goes on to offer suggestions on what Church leaders might do to cope with the phenomenon.
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Doubtless the question for Coal is: Is this a mere one-hit, no effort wonder? I refuse to give words of reassurance, since words on the web are plentiful, cheap, and subsequently worthless. However, there are a few things on the agenda. I should think the existence of an agenda a good sign.
- Reflections on Kurt Vonnegut, his life, and the incomparable body of literature he produced.
- A summary and informal evaluation of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
- Poetry by yours truly, and an invitation for submissions (get your pens ready!).
- A sketch of and commentary on John Henry Newman’s Theory of the Development of Doctrine, it’s relevance and implications.
That is not my word, they are only words. Read them, assimilate, interpret.
If you found me, welcome back.
Theburdman said,
Jan 19, 22:27 #
As a reporter for the UNO gateway, I have been offered the role of writing articles of a religious nature, due to my exposure to religion, I suppose. I’ve only written two articles so far, because I am lazy. One was opinions on Christmas from professors, and one was event coverage on an Archeology conference.
I suppose what I want to say is that the problems described as problems with the lack of coverage on the Church have to do with the media as a whole rather than dealing with religion. Due to the largely secular role of the media, I think it is neglected somewhat, but what I want to say is that media is generally done badly these days. That is just my opinion though.
There is a famous line regarding news: what should be covered is “Man bites dog rather than dog bites man.” This is often neglected and scrapped for event coverage, or stories about “man bites man.” These stories are much easier to write. Is anything actually learned from them? Probably not. Events in the church are simply too difficult to cover. Perhaps I should write an article or two Pentecost. I think that would be fun.
steph said,
Jan 21, 09:49 #
hah! random!