How we must react to the media

By Sarah-Leah Pimentel

The last few weeks saw the international media focus on events in the Catholic Church. We have watched as some of the world’s biggest broadcast corporations struggled to understand how the Church operates and how its structures are often very different from the political systems that the media is  more accustomed to covering.

Pope Francis greets a participant during his audience for journalists. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Some media reported on the conclave with fascinated interest and covered Pope Francis’ election with the same respect that they would accord to any world leader. Other segments of the media were vitriolic in their coverage which was marked by a clear agenda to identify some form of scandal.

One British publication could not resist stating that Pope Francis’ election “risked running into immediate controversy” for allegedly having “connived in the abduction of two Jesuit priests by the [Argentinean] military junta” during this country’s military dictatorship. That allegation has long been discredited.

Another controversy surrounded an interview by BBC radio with Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, in which the archbishop of Durban was interpreted as saying that he thought abuse by paedophiles was not a crime. Interviewer Stephen Nolan used his skills as a hard-hitting journalist to force Cardinal Napier into a corner in which everything he said was likely to be misinterpreted. Mr Nolan did not give the cardinal an immediate chance to clarify his position.

Of all the South African Sunday newspapers, only the Sunday Independent gave Cardinal Napier the right to respond. The other papers merely reproduced the story that had been reported by the British media.

Even more disappointing was the hasty judgement given by political commentator Justice Malala, who on his Sunday programme on eNCA declared that he was “ashamed to be a Catholic” in light of Cardinal Napier’s comments, and named him his “loser of the week”.

Did Mr Malala conducted the same rigorous research into this story as he would on other hard-hitting political issues, or did he allow himself to be carried away by media hype?

Against the background of stories like these, which cyclically make their way into the media, what is our response as Catholics? Do we accept the reporting we see at face value without questioning the role that media bias may play in these stories? Or do we blindly attack the media and accuse it of hating our Church?

I don’t think either response is particularly helpful.

Instead, our main response should be to speak the truth with love. And we can speak truthfully only if we are firmly rooted in the Church’s teachings and can respond without fear and without ambiguity when we are questioned about our faith and the life of the Church.

A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to a late night talk show on a South African commercial radio station during which the presenter asked about the role of women in the Church. I sensed that this presenter was genuinely interested in this issue and was open to conversation.

Unfortunately a Catholic caller, although doubtless well-meaning, was unable to provide meaningful explanations and became very defensive when the presenter asked further questions. This example points to a deeply-entrenched problem among many Catholics: we do not really know our faith.

Incidents such as these do not help us to speak with a credible voice. We need to understand that the media has a powerful influence on forming public perceptions on any given topic. We—laity, religious or clergy—need to be able to speak clearly and in unison about the issues that affect our Church and its role in society.

In his 2011 apostolic exhortation to the Church in Africa, Africae Munus, Pope Benedict XVI said that “the contribution of Christians in Africa will be decisive only if their understanding of the faith shapes their understanding of the world”.

As Catholics, we are called to know our faith and to interpret the events of our times through the eyes of faith. In a world that is becoming increasingly antagonistic to religion, we will increasingly be called to speak boldly about our faith to others.

Those of us who hold position of influence—both in the Church and in society—have an additional responsibility to speak truth to power, to stand up for what is true in the face of strong opposition from the powers of this world. Benedict XVI reminds us of the words of St Paul: that we are “‘ambassadors of Christ’ (2 Cor 5:20) in the public sphere, in the heart of the world”.

So perhaps the best contribution that each of us can make to our Church during this Year of Faith is to re-acquaint ourselves with the teachings of the Church and deepen our understanding and knowledge of the Church’s mission for the world.

Sarah-Leah Pimentel is a media analyst.