Impacting the Media

Clive Price is a qualified journalist and international writer. He edits popular magazines on spirituality and family life, writes and edits for major charities like World Vision and Bible Society, and has contributed to books like 'The Sixty-Minute Father' and 'Miracle Children'. Also a media lecturer at Chichester College and a consultant on CARE's Westminster Intern Programme, he has served as a storyteller at schools internationally. The following notes are from a seminar he did at City Life Church.

T.V. is the storeroom of the icons of our age.

'Television needs to be seriously considered as an operative religious faith for a large proportion of the population.' - Peter Horsfield, Religious Dimensions of Television's Uses and Content (1985, Australia)

T.V. is company for a lot of people.

Media is seen as a benign voice and companion that we think does not demand anything of us - but demands more than we think.

'The bulk of T.V. looks out from a spiritual wilderness and presents this as a true picture of how things are.' - Chris Arthur

'There is no idea of transcendence in Neighbours.' - John Smith, Biker Evangelist

'The Media is not an evil place. It is often dominated, however, by people with idolatry on their minds.' - Dave Roberts, Fast-moving Currents in Youth Culture

'Despite its shortcomings and its failures, its blemishes and disgraces, journalism is a calling for the Christian.' - Gerald Priestland, The Dilemmas of Journalism

Influencing the Media as ordinary people

Most consumer revolutions are consumer led. The Media is not an intransigent fact. It is a shifting entity influenced by many different people - of whom you can be one. If you are prepared to be a little proactive in the following ways:

Training

It is relatively easy to get simple training for Media awareness: how to write effective letters, doing press releases, catching the attention of editors, etc. Look out for courses where you can pick up these skills. Often businesses will send some employees on courses to increase their company's Media friendliness.

Letter writing

When Scorcese's The Last Temptation of Christ was shown on TV, letters of complaint flooded in - all from Muslims, offended by this portrayal of their prophet. Christians are apathetic when it comes to what they see on telly, and in the Media. Writing letters lets the industry know what is acceptable and what is not. Don't write only letters of complaint though (imagine being an editor wading through those!). Write to congratulate positive portrayals of spirituality and Christian values. Letters are taken as representative of large groups - your view counts for something.

Patrick Dixon points out that if you wrote a Christian book, you would be lucky to have a few thousand people read it. If you wrote a letter to a Christianity magazine, it would reach tens of thousands at best. But If you wrote a letter to The Sun, up to 7 million people in this country would read your view.

Phone-ins

By the same token, millions of people listen everyday to Radio 5 live, Radio 1, and local stations. Many programmes feature phone-ins, including TV shows, and often the producers are not inundated with calls - in other words, if you phone in with something interesting to say, you stand a good chance of getting airtime.

What will increase your chance of being put on air is having a controversial or strong opinion - presenters such as Nicky Campbell are looking for people who will spice up the debate. The last thing they want, however, is a standard, judgemental, Christian stance. You don't need to condemn or 'present the whole Gospel' in your 30 seconds - taking a fresh line on a Christian value is an excellent starting point. See below for tips on how to come across well.

Stay in touch with trends

Simple. To engage with the Media you need to be aware of current trends in the Media. Stay in touch by reading magazines like 'Wired,' as well as watching and reading what is coming across.

Send ideas in

Rather than criticising - 'there's nowt but rubbish on telly' - come up with ideas for good viewing, or in papers, good reading. Coming up with good ideas is a creative process that many producers would love some help with - the more suggestions the better. Where the ideas come from is not a mysterious vault of atheism - it is people sitting down and thinking them up. You could be one of those people, bringing spirituality, and transcendence, and kingdom values, back by degrees.

As an example, recently a documentary maker who had just become a Christian was given the idea of tracking the 24-7 prayer team who were going to Ibiza for 3 weeks. The idea was snapped up by Channel 4 who loved it - and the resulting documentary 'God Bless Ibiza' will be shown one Saturday evening September 03.

Support your local Media people

Being called to the Media is a tough calling. What can you and your church do to support those members working in journalism, TV, film, etc? Often Christians in the Media are criticised, but it is encouragement that helps people thrive.

Get church leaders 'Media aware'

If you have found a good training course or have some good tips for influencing an area of the Media, share it with your leaders, who can get the church more Media friendly.

Make friends with Media people

In the context of being out there, and personal, relational evangelism, look to include any Media people you can in your friendship groups. They will help you understand how it all works, may give you opportunities to get involved, but above all are valuable, influential people who need Jesus in their own lives.

TIP - Avoid loaded terms

We know that 'crusade', 'mission', 'evangelism' and 'born again' are insensitive words to use with people because of their negative connotations. This is even more true in print or on air. Even 'Christian' can cause problems, because of all the reprehensible things that have been done in the name of Christianity. Some people would opt to call themselves 'followers of Jesus' instead in Media circles. It is good to begin talking about Spirituality rather than Christianity (spirituality is currently popular - think Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix trilogy...), or focus on one or two kingdom values, or the person of Jesus, rather than introducing a whole, awkward parcel that people baulk at.

TIP - Look for the new angle

The news and stories which catch attention are often those where someone has a new angle on something. Christianity is cliched and boring to most people, but if you can get a new slant on an old subject, or portray a part of the church community that people don't normally see, then you are in with more of a chance of attention.

Remember, the things which Christians might find the most exciting - 'we had 500 students turn out for a prayer meeting!' or, '20 people became Christians through an Alpha course!' - are unlikely to impress non-Christian editors. But a community project with local teenagers, a T-shirt fast, a fair trade stall ... who knows?

Pray for the Media

N - Nature

That Christians with the enquiring and communicative nature that is so necessary in the Media would rise up and be called into it.

E - Engagement

That more Christians and churches would engage with the Media instead of ignoring or criticising it.

W - Wonder

For a sense of wonder and reflection, of space and transcendence to be restored. Instead of busy banality.

S - Shalom

For God's peace and wellbeing in the chaotic Media world.