Church urged to widen work in media
Amid the surfeit of fantasy and action programs and showbiz gossip in mainstream media, the Church should strengthen and widen its work in the media, said an official of a Church-based media center.
Teresita Hermano, executive director of the Communication Foundation for Asia (CFA), said much is needed to be done by the Church despite its years of extensive experience in mass communication work.
The CFA is a non-stock, non-profit organization engaged in multimedia work to promote Christian values.
Hermano who spoke before the Msgr Jose Blancaflor Memorial Media Forum here on Monday said the Church is "clearly interested and involved in the media."
She pointed out the Church's involvement in the media is "part of its mission to evangelize."
The need to be more active in its own media work and to engage with the mainstream media is highlighted with the quality of programs and shows that mainstream media produces, said Hermano.
"Media professionals themselves lament the state of commercial media and complain about the abuses. Once in a while the media themselves become the big story, and we go through a process of critical self-analysis and guilt," said Hermano.
She said that while there are more TV channels than before, the programs are mostly the same.
Hermano pointed out that the top ranking programs are all fantasy and action shows, game show and telenovelas (soap operas). She also lamented that a significant amount of time is devoted to "showbiz gossip" even in news-oriented programs.
"And can we not demand from our government-controlled media, which is run by our tax money, more than just government propaganda?" Hermano added.
She said the Church should maximize its resources in coming out with media programs and projects that will reach the widest audience possible.
Hermano cited the wide radio network of the Catholic Church through the Catholic Media Network. The CMN has 48 Catholic radio stations in 35 provinces and also offers radio programs on cable stations.
On New Year's Day in 2006, it also inaugurated the TV Maria, a network under the supervision of the Archdiocese of Manila. TV Maria started regular broadcast on Dream Satellite TV in April 2006 and has also started running at Destiny Cable Channel 96.
She said most of the broadcasts of TV Maria are replays from Catholic programs aired on mainstream channels, but a few programs are aired specifically for TV Maria. Some dioceses have also put up their own local cable channels.
But Hermano said the Church "has been slow to take up the challenge to engage in the new media" citing the few websites and blogs (web logs) that were constructed aside from that of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and some dioceses.
She said Church institutions and organizations should heed the call of the late Pope John Paul II issued on World Communications Day in January 2002 for the Church to "cross the threshold" of the Internet.
The coming elections are critical times, according to Hermano.
"People need the truth and it is our responsibility to provide it. More than ever, the church needs to be a moral force and church media have to be role models in fair and honest reporting," said Hermano.