The Christian And The Media

To an unprecedented degree all the subtle techniques of the mass media are being directed to shaping the concepts and the pursuits of the man in the street. This is a fact of life in the Western world, and it is of crucial importance that the Christian should take account of it. He should do so for several reasons. To name a few: first, that he may assess its effect on his own spiritual life. Second, that he may acquire some insight into the thought patterns of those he rubs shoulders with. This will lead to more intelligent communication of the Christian message. And there is a third reason for taking into account the present powerful influence wielded by the mass media. It is evident from the perusal of some monthly 'evangelical' magazines that its techniques are creeping into Christian communication. Does this bode for good or ill? For example, a prominent feature of modern secular propaganda is the use of satire and parody. Do such weapons have a place in the armoury of the Christian propagandist? Or will their increasing use tend to trivialize the gospel? These questions are posed for serious thought. We leave them there for the moment and pass on to discuss an aspect of this subject which is of major concern to the committed Christian.

Without doubt the most powerful modern medium is the television screen. It is computed that in Britain the average adult watches television for sixteen to eighteen hours a week. The social consequences of this are the subject of endless debate. It is clearly evident that there is deep unease about its potential for evil in many minds with varying viewpoints. This leads us to enquire, Can a consensus be formulated which represents a general Christian viewpoint on the problems raised by the use of this powerful medium as at present directed? As a contribution to the formulation of such a consensus we draw the attention of readers to some outspoken comments of Malcolm Muggeridge, the celebrated television operator.

It is well known that Muggeridge is now a committed Christian. His personal testimony was given to the world in 1969 in Jesus Rediscovered. This has brought him a certain amount of ridicule which he accepts with Christian grace. Whatever else may be said of this television veteran he is well equipped, from his long experience of the medium and his personal knowledge of those who have directed it, to size it up. Now that he looks at it through Christian eyes, what is his verdict?

In November 1976 Muggeridge was invited to give the London Lectures in Contemporary Christianity. The subject chosen was 'the Media'. There were three lectures, each followed by a question session. His trenchant treatment of his subject caused a stir at the time. Muggeridge has now revised these lectures for publication and they have appeared, with appendices, under the title, Christ and the Media (Hodder and Stoughton, London, �2.25).

Here are the opening sentences of his first lecture:

It is a truism to say that the media in general, and TV in particular and BBC television especially, are incomparably the greatest single influence in our society today, exerted at all social, economic and cultural levels. This influence, I should add, is, in my opinion, largely exerted irresponsibly, arbitrarily, and without reference to any moral or intellectual, still less spiritual, guidelines whats6ever. Furthermore, if it is the case, as I believe, that what we still call Western civilization is fast disintegrating, then the media are playing a major role in the process by carrying out, albeit for the most part unconsciously, a mighty brainwashing operation, whereby all traditional standards and values are being denigrated to the point of disappearing, leaving a moral vacuum in which the very concepts of Good and Evil have ceased to have any validity... Nor do I see within the various broadcasting agencies any force, actual or potential, capable of delivering us from being totally submerged in the world of fantasy which the channels they control project.

Strong words! Gross exaggeration? Yet the Verdict should not be lightly dismissed. Muggeridge argues his case with great skill and perception. Hear him out before reaching a conclusion. Examine the evidence he produces. While doing so give due weight to the qualifying adverb 'largely' in line 6 of the excerpt given above. And keep in mind that the question at issue is not the use of television as an instrument. Its potential for good as inherent in Muggeridge's argument.

unknown | May 1978
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