Every now and then my frustration with the media builds and builds until it bursts into a post. Today is such a day.
(a) Television in NZ has joined the global craze for “breaking news” flashes across the screen. While this creates an immediacy and an intensity designed to hold viewers, none of this should be confused with depth or significance. I have yet to see an important story follow the flash. One of the enduring powers of the media is NOT just the angle they put on a given story, but what they choose the story will be that they give us.
(b) TV3 is blanketing the country with huge billboards that say something like “It is all about the story”. I am grateful for the reminder. However the image clutters the message in that the entity which dominates every image is the TV3 reporter. Over the last few years – probably as the competition heats up – I have noticed an increasing focus on the reporter in the way a story is relayed. In reality “it is far too much about the reporter.” The medium is clouding the message, if not eclipsing it at times. Whatever happened to TV being a mere “channel” for the news?
(c) As for Swine Flu. Yes, it is something about which to be concerned. However I am left wondering whether some of those ridiculously sensational headlines that we have seen have more to do with creating a story in a way that plays on peoples’ fears in order to “sell” the news in a way that is increasingly profitable. In financially tough times the media moguls have seen an opportunity to make a buck. Too cynical? I’ll need some convincing to change my mind!
Then I think about the other news we talk about – the good news, the gospel of Jesus – and how we report it to today. God forbid that a variant of (a) occur whereby we treat people to a series of intense ‘breaking news’ items that keep people living in shallow-lands and miss the headline significance of the gospel. God forbid that a variant of (b) occur whereby we allow the messenger to eclipse the message as the gospel is lost in a clutter associated with the preacher:teacher and we forget that it is all about the story. God forbid that a variant of (c) occur whereby we allow marketing forces to take over our approach to the point where we miscontrue what is dangerous and wrong – or sinful and evil – as we pursue the creation of an impression that we are successful or effective.
The good news is true news before it is any other kind of news. Our approaches with it must be consistent with this feature.
nice chatting
Paul Windsor
About Me
the art of unpacking
After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.
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Those strategies, as unscrupulous as they are, still get people to ‘hear’ the news on an immediate basis. I am not advocating using unscrupulous means for a good end but I sometimes get frustrated with how terribly long it takes for us to get an ear to share the good news with.
I complained of just this to Sarah on Monday night, when after a week of sensationalist, fear-conjuring headlines, the news ran with “Did the government overreact to swine flu?”.
I think NZ news channels split their news time sessions into two halves…
1st half – What the reporters/broadcasters view as ‘entertainment’, or will get them higher viewer ratings, ie. Tony Vietch/Swine Flu. Things like this dominate the 1st half. ‘Grrrr’
2nd half: The actual worldwide stuff taking place, wars/injustice’s, natural disasters, elections, etc….which get a 2minute story, if they’re lucky – again I say ‘grrr’
yay for our tv breaking months ago – and is still yet to be fixed. 🙂
Plenty of “grrr” going on for you, Reetz!
I am glad that my TV is not broken as I do like the sequence on Sky from Channel 89 (Al Jazeera), Ch 90 (often Aussie News), Ch 91 (CNN), Ch 92 (Fox – so entertaining as they demonise NBC and yet come off looking a bit like David Letterman) and Ch 93 (BBC)
thanks paul. this joined a few dots for me, offered a creative spark in terms of a sermon series i’m starting on Mark’s gospel
http://www.emergentkiwi.org.nz/archive/its-all-in-the-story/
steve taylor
http://www.emergentkiwi.org.nz