The message of the mass media

Have you noticed the effect which the mass media has on the message of the Church? The Gospel is not coming through the media clearly. Very often, as in the case of the "Regensburg Discourse" of the Holy Father, the media makes us feel that the message of the Church is wrong.

Obvioulsy, both the Church and the media are coming from differing perspectives: the perspective of the Church is the Gospel, the perspective of the media is the secular point of view. However, at present the media does not mediate the message of the Church, which it fails to understand, but rather the dynamic of its own understanding of an event.

The media has not been formed by truth and what we are experiencing is the awkward relationship between the Church and the mass media. This relationship is still developing, but I think that it is a realtionship which will be lead by the Church, because ultimately, she has more insight. We dont want a situation where the media is roving somewhat pointlessly round the solidly grounded Church, always on the outside, without ever getting closer to the truth. How can we help to form a better relationship between the Church and the media?

Fr Richard