Week 10- Media, Religion, News

It seems to be that whenever there is a news story regarding religion, the content is of scandal or judgement. For instance, the sex scandals regarding the Catholic Church and the hate-crimes committed to people of the Islamic faith following the terrorist attacks that occurred on the 11^th of September 2001. It appears to be a rare occurrence that the general public are curious in religious affairs unless there is some form of event or issue behind the storyline. Therefore, in retrospect, when looking at the way Islam has been represented in the media over the past few years it is apparent that “Islam is usually treated negatively and is often associated with terrorism, war, fundamentalism and the repression of women” (Hopkins, 2008, p. 43). It is crucial to understand that all media has a sense of purpose and furthermore, has a significant bias or angle from which they are trying to make clear to the readers. Thus with this understanding all readers need to ensure that they acknowledge that the information in which they are being presented in whatever form of media it will be, in regards to Muslim activity has been “constructed from a marginal knowledge of the Muslim world; which furthermore presents a negative view of that world; this narrow view has rarely been balanced by representations of the normal, stable, social existence experienced by the vast majority of Muslims’” (Hopkins, 2008, p. 43). Moreover, the angle or bias in which the public receive are often very selective and one sided, thus caution must be evident in order to ensure that a misrepresentation of an entire religious community does not occur.

 

As with anything in life, no two people are the same, people don’t practice their faith in the same way or even to the same degree of intensity; therefore to pigeon hole an entire religious group through negative portrayals in the media, does not do the entire faith and its followers any justice. Prime examples of these ignorant and generalised groupings are that of the hate crimes surrounding the Islamic community following the events of 9/11. Additionally the “whole interpretive frame in the West surrounding the September 11 events has been one of a binary polarization, between the West and Islam: the West associated with civilizational values and Islam with violence against it” (Hopkins, 2008, p. 46). Subsequent fires at mosques in the US illustrated to a full extent the complete ignorance and misunderstanding of how Islam was being perceived. In reaction to the unjustifiable harm being committed against innocent Muslims following the terrorist attacks the white house made a deliberate effort to establish that members of Islam were not to blame for the attacks, but certain individuals. Furthermore, following the initiative undertaken by the White House public relations team to encourage Americans to get along with Muslims, the national press quickly followed suit and felt it appropriate to adjust their angle on the events concerning those days. In terms of why there is a lingering dislike for Muslims could have something to do with the fact that the US always appreciates having something to fight against. For instance, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, Islam became the global threat that replaced communism as the enemy of the West (Ibrahim, 2010, p. 112).  Moreover highlighting the need to have a constant pressure to remain a moral compass for the world and allowing the US to stand tall as a ‘moral’ country. Despite the fact that American officials went to great lengths to emphasise that the “war on terror was not a was against Islam but against the individuals who committed the crimes, there was some form of a “with us or against us” mentality evident in the President Bush era (Ibrahim, 2010, p. 121). Therefore, as a result of this mentality, despite some conscious efforts being made by members in the media, there is still an overarching theme of suspiciousness and curiosity surrounding Islam as a religion, and furthermore, the people that practice it.

 

References:

Hopkins, L. (2008). Muslim Turks and anti-Muslim discourse: The effects of media constructions of 'Islamic' and 'Arabic' in Australia. Australian Journal of Communication, 41-48.

Ibrahim, D. (2010). The Framing of Islam on Network News Following the September 11th Attacks. The International Communication Gazette, 111-125.

Image Courtesy of Pixabay: http://pixabay.com/en/photos/?q=news&orientation=&image_type=

Week 9- Representations and Influence

As with many aspects of life, the media plays a significant role in regards to the way the general public interprets and perceives current events in the world. In most instances people do not have a great depth of knowledge from which to draw from to make informed conclusions on their personal perspective in regards to current issues, thus most people look to multiple forms of media for their information. Media is incorporated into daily life so heavily that people do not realize that their perspective may not necessarily be their own, but a perspective that has been filtered and constructed in such a way that clearly illustrates a particular bias. Without realizing the affect that media has on our worldviews, people become heavily influenced unknowingly through television shows, news programs, social media, radio etc. Bias in the media is strongly evident in the numerous and varied portrayals of different religions. Hall has the understanding that “the media constructs for us a definition of what race is” (Hall, 2000, p. 273) highlighting the idea that as an audience, our stance on certain issues, particularly something as controversial as race, is very easily influenced and manipulated by the bias illustrated in the media. The significance of the role in which media plays within today’s society is great; for it is through engaging with the media that people are able to understand things that perhaps they would not have had the opportunity to try and understand before.

Despite the fact that all religions have a standard stereotype within the western media; it is apparent that particularly Islam and Christianity are often seen to be polar opposites.  On the popular American teen drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager the show’s creators depict the Christians in a strongly stereotyped and concerned, conservative manner with “awkward conversations such as "What would my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ think?" (Darden, 2009). Whilst, Islam, furthermore Muslims are frequently portrayed as being “pre-modern and violent, unlike the West, which emerges as superior, modern and enlightened” (Canas, 2008, p. 195). Such portrayals are often considered to illustrate points of ignorance and fear, with unkind depictions and representations of Islam in that way, many seek to change that negative perception commonly found in the media. A TV show called Little Mosque on the Prairie, aims to “expose western viewers to the everyday lives of Muslims living in the West” (Canas, 2008, p. 198).   Throughout the duration of the show, the storyline explores the prejudices and nasty attitudes commonly held towards Muslims. Through television shows such as this, the media can allow comedies or other television programs to educate the masses of viewers and attempt to change their world view for the better. Therefore whilst there will always be bias in the media, it is important that members of the general public have access to multiple perspectives.

 

References:

Canas, S. (2008). The Little Mosque on the Prairie: Examining (Multi) Cultural Spaces of Nation and Religion . Cultural Dynamics, 195-211.

Darden, K. E. (2009, January 6). Sex and the City for Teens: The Secret Life of the American Teenager Season One Review. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from Yahoo Voices: http://voices.yahoo.com/sex-city-teens-secret-life-the-2459495.html

Hall, S. (2000). Racist Ideologies and the Media. In P. Marris, & S. Thornham (Eds.), Media Studies: A Reader (2nd ed., pp. 271-282). New York: New York University Press.

Video Courtesy of YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA-ZASFmuiY

Image Courtesy of Pixabay: http://pixabay.com/en/photos/?q=muslim&orientation=&image_type=

Critical Review and Interview

The relationship between religion and media is constantly evolving and developing to incorporate new methods to convey new ideas through new forms of expression; thus the way in which people respond to such changes in perception develop as well. This review aims to better understand the impacts of media on the public image of the Christian faith and to develop a clearer indication in regards to what extent media influences public perception and furthermore, popularity of certain religions. Vivacious, yet easy-going 19 year old James Cook University student from Townsville, Shannon Henaway, was more than happy to share her thoughts on the relationship between religion and media. Ms Henaway, a parishioner of the Assemblies of God Church was raised in the church following the beliefs of her parents’ Christian Fundamentalist worldview. Having grown up in that environment and having completed her schooling in a Christian school, Ms Henaway said that she was always ‘keenly aware of it (her faith)… it’s normal to me’; however, as she matured she said that her ‘family’s core values became my own in young adulthood’.  As a young nursing student, Ms Henaway does not actively involve herself with promoting the beliefs or mission statements of her church outside of positive discussion and obvious passion for her faith; however she is constantly surrounded by religious comments made in the media whether about her own religion or another. Whilst there are some concerns in regards to over-exposure when it comes to publicising aspects of religion, Mitchell states that “rather than worrying about the potential dangers of media such as television, film, radio or the internet, many writers or practitioners also emphasise their potential for reaching new audiences” (Mitchell, 2007, p. 38), furthermore enabling people to have the ability and freedom to better understand the different options that are available.

Despite the popular belief that members of the younger generations are not being involved in religious communities or practices, Ms Henaway is a brilliant example of a young woman continuing in her faith journey, the same one she began when she was little. She does however understand with quite a deep comprehension as to why Christianity, as a traditional religion is perhaps not for everyone within today’s society. Ms Henaway stated that ‘a lot of traditional religious groups are seemingly having a lot of difficulty in remaining relevant to current generations. An inability to evolve with the changing times whilst still remaining true to their core beliefs and faith makes it difficult for people to see the need to adopt such religions into their lives. People aren’t going to want something that they don’t see a need for anymore’. This shift in perspective as illustrated by Ms Henaway was previously argued by Emile Durkheim, with the understanding that “the growth of moral individualism is bound to reduce the significance of organised religion” (Redmond & Holmes, 2007, p. 172). Einstein relates the modern search for religion to a shopping adventure for a convenient “religious institution that meets their needs” (Einstein, 2011, p. 332). These perspectives highlight the developing culture and perception that surrounds traditional religions such as Christianity. Furthermore, it is critical to establish what impacts varying media styles have of the perception and popularity of religion.

When Ms Henaway was asked if she thought that religions should have their own media, she strongly replied that she personally does not believe they should. She mentioned that ‘Christian TV and other such media forums are great for believers but are completely irrelevant to the wider community. Moreover, believing that the whole mantra of Christianity is one of evangelism and being relevant to the world you’re living in; religious media doesn’t do this effectively at all’, she stated.  Comparatively to this personalised perspective, scholarly writers have mentioned that “the fundamental problem of religious communication is how best to represent and mediate the sacred” (O'Leary, 1996, p. 787). Furthermore others such as Campbell and Mitchell respectively have claimed to see “media technology as a God-given resource to be embraced for religious purposes” (Campbell, 2010, p. 20), as “Ben Armstrong, former Executive Director of National Religious Broadcasters in the USA sees the ‘awesome technology of broadcasting’ as one of the ‘major miracles of modern times’; for him, television and radio have ‘broken through the walls of tradition’” (Mitchell, 2007, p. 38). Amongst the many positives that have arisen as a result of mass media coverage on religious events and topics it is to be noted that media does come with its downfalls.

As previously illustrated there are multiple benefits to a strong relationship between religion and media. However, unfortunately, as a result of the child abuse allegations in recent years against members of the Catholic Church, Ms Henaway has been a victim of some public indiscretion against her faith. Ms Henaway has said that most of the media reports about her religion, and she believes religion in general, are very much one-sided angles that focus on the negatives. She continued to say that there were ‘many prominent issues surrounding the Catholic Church, illustrating the inadequate way that sexual abuse of children has been dealt with has political and global ramifications’. She spoke of her disappointment in seeing the status of Christianity within Australian culture go from being regarded as a ‘pillar of society’ to now having the perception of religion and its fundamental beliefs as being ‘labelled irrelevant and archaic’. It is important to understand that it takes more than one form of media to create such a drastic change in public perception, “differences between kinds of media do make a difference, but, at the same time, it is a technological fact that we are in an era of ‘multi-media’….What they know and what they do from one bleeds over to the other” (Hoover, 2006, p. 142). People often underestimate that influence that media has on public perception, Hjarvard has stated that “it is important to stress that modern media do not only present or report on religious issues; they also change the very ideas and authority of religious institutions and alter the ways in which people interact with each other when dealing with religious issues… media can be seen as an agent of religious change  (Hjarvard, 2008, p. 11)”. For instance, a new miniseries on the History Channel in the USA called The Bible, has received great reviews as it “continues its unprecedented success with its home entertainment launch and quickly became the biggest selling TV on DVD in the last 5 years among other new records. THE BIBLE series is flying off store shelves around the country with 525,000 units sold. It was watched by an astonishing 95 million viewers” (Lightworkers Media, 2013, p. np). The size of the success of this miniseries based on the Christian Holy Bible illustrates and highlights the great extent to which media plays in advertising and popularising religion when it chooses to.

Following the at times, negative public perception that the media encourages, through multiple means, Ms Henaway insists that ‘although media may present differing views and standpoints on particular issues; I’m firmly established in my beliefs’. She continues to state that ‘for me personally, it isn’t the attending ‘church’ or fulfilling that duty that makes you a ‘Christian’. There were times where I didn’t attend. Christianity is a conscious decision made daily to live and behave in such a way that your life becomes bigger than yourself’; an idea that can’t exactly be promoted in an advertisement. Furthermore, through interviewing 19 year old Nursing student, Shannon Henaway, it is apparent that despite her Christian Fundamentalist faith being at times scrutinised by the media, she is confident in her beliefs and understands that media is a tool in which has the ability to rapidly change public perceptions, and acknowledges that sometimes the media is with you whilst other times it is clearly challenging.   

 

Reference List

 

Campbell, H. (2010). When Religion Meets New Media. London: Taylor and Francis.

Einstein, M. (2011). The Evolution of Religious Branding. Social Compass, 331-338.

Hjarvard, S. (2008). Mediatisation of religion : a theory of the media as agents of religious change. Northern lights : film and media studies yearbook, 6(1), 9-26.

Hoover, S. M. (2006). Religion in the Media Age. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.

Lightworkers Media. (2013, April 8). News. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from The Bible: http://www.bibleseries.tv/the-bible-1-tv-on-dvd-in-the-last-5-years/

Mitchell, J. (2007). Questioning Media and Religion. In G. Lynch, Between Sacred and Profane (pp. 38-46). London: I.B. Tauris.

O'Leary, S. D. (1996). Cyberspace as a Sacred Space: Communicating Religion on Computer Networks. Journal of the American Acadamy of Religion, 781-808.

Redmond, S., & Holmes, S. (2007). Stardom and Celebrity. London: Sage Publications.

Week 8- Tranquillity and Serenity

Tranquillity and Serenity

The calming sounds of the cheerful birds,

The soft twittering of the dragon flies,

The refreshing splash of the water as the birds flock to a nearby tree,

This is what is calming to me.

 

 

To me personally, I really value the opportunity to sit and be with my thoughts in a calm and relaxing environment. Whether it is being on the sand at the beach, lying on a picnic rug on a nice piece of grass, admiring a spectacular waterfall or just sitting quietly in front of a lake, the opportunity to sit and be still is one to be valued and treasured.

Having the ability to immerse oneself into a different environment, to disconnect from other aspects of life for just a few moments is to have the ability to connect with oneself but also to connect with the environment in which one is immersed in.

 

Often when I feel stressed and overwhelmed I will go for a run along the river or sit in the sun amongst the trees in front of the lake. There is something about being outside that leaves me feeling less structured and freer to do as I choose. Being able to sit in the sun and have the sun take away all stress and anxiety often leaves me feeling relaxed and helps me to put things into perspective; for it is the connection with nature that often leaves me understanding that my world, and furthermore, my life, is only a tiny part in the universe. As a young person I believe we often get caught up in our own little worlds, at times completely ignorant of the real issues facing people around us on a local and global scale. It was through observing the different animals at the lake, seeing their circle of life, how they live, eat and defend themselves that puts my life and my worries into perspective.

I find myself getting caught up on making sure things in my life are done by a certain time- in a sense creating a timeline for my life. But as I grow older the more I realise that it really doesn’t matter how long it takes you to do something, as long as you enjoy what you are doing. Life is not about the destination, but about the journey. It is the things that you to trying to get to your destination, that is living- all the little things in between. For if we look at the end goal of life, it is that we die and join God in heaven, but if that was all we focused on, then we wouldn’t even enjoy our lives, which is the entirety of our journey. Thus, my main aim in life is to enjoy every moment of my life and to not get hung up on timelines, but to ensure that everything that I do is what I want, and that it makes me happy and satisfied to do it.

Both Images were taken by myself

Week 7- The Inevitable Rise and Acceptance of Online Religion

 

Usage of the internet and social media in general is rapidly increasing along with its popularity and acceptance into daily life. Therefore, should we really be surprised about the rise of religious related organisations or even churches, taking to social networking to spread their messages? I think not. Given that social media and other forums are about expressing yourself as a person, your likes, dislikes, beliefs and interests- for most people religion is a major part of their lives and how it shapes them as people. Thus, why wouldn’t there be things on the internet that are related to practicing religion.

Usage of the internet is far more than simply conveying ideas to a large body of people; it also enables group leaders to create “innovative forms of religious interaction and ritual engagement” (Campbell H. , 2010, p. 19), allowing followers and participants to immerse themselves into the environment in multiple and varied forms of media and discussion.

As a reflection of the individual, what people post on the internet frequently mirror the attitudes and perspective of the individual, thus the internet has become as space where people have “readily brought their faith online with them… enabled them to live out their faith in a net-worked environment” (Campbell H. , 2010, p. 20). Having the ability to live out a religious connection online enables many people who have difficulty accessing a Church or sacred space, the opportunity to still have that same connection without any significant disadvantage. Some religious organisations are more online than others with some “online cyber churches having provided online prayer centres and even hosting weekly internet-based meetings or rituals” (Campbell H. , 2010, p. 23).  Highlighting that to engage in a religious experience you don’t necessarily have to be in a ‘sacred’ space, you can in fact make anything that you want sacred, it just depends on your perspective.

With the rise in both popularity and acceptance of religious rituals and such being online, it raises the query as to what actually makes a church, and do you have to be in a sacred space ie. Temple or church etc. to receive just as valuable an experience that is both satisfying and rewarding from an online ritual or service? St Pixels: Church of the Internet have a mission that is to “explore the online Christian community and to test the boundaries of what exactly church is and needs to be to ‘be church’” (Campbell H. , 2010, p. 24). Whilst some others state that “engagements with technology offer humans a magical or religious experience” (Campbell & La Pastina, 2010, p. 4) It is quickly becoming apparent that at least, if a person cannot get themselves to a service in person, through the internet, people have been gifted with the opportunity to feel religiously enriched through online means.  

Campbell, H. (2010). When Religion Meets New Media. London: Taylor and Francis.

Campbell, H. A., & La Pastina, A. C. (2010). How the iPhone became divine: new media, religion and the intertextual circulation of meaning. New Media & Society, 1911-1207.

Image courtesy of Pixabay: http://pixabay.com/en/matrix-face-silhouette-69681/

Week 6- Branding and its influence on all aspects of Religion

With the rise in such varied and different religious organisations and different branches of core denominations, due to the sheer variety of choice available, the vast popularity of traditional faiths has dwindled as other, more relevant groups emerge. Thus “religious marketing has risen substantially over the past few decades due to a confluence of societal changes” (Einstein, 2011, p. 331), highlighting the greatly developing role that religion is playing within the lives of 21^st century communities. Comparatively to several decades ago where religion did not have a lot of exposure to reach out to other groups and advertise their religion, media and branding today, allow for a single message to reach thousands if not, millions of people around the world.

In general, people are not looking for a one size fits all religious group, but an environment in which they are comfortable and feel that they belong. Mara Einstein explains this idea well when she states that “Within this environment, seekers reject traditional Churches for more opportune practices or ‘shop’ for a religious institution that meets their needs. This market-orientated mentality is fuelled by a consumer culture that has trained Americans to expect products and series to be a convenient, entertaining, and customized to fit their needs” (Einstein, 2011, p. 332). Religion is no longer be viewed as it used to, that is for its core values, beliefs and practices, but rather, now people are choosing their religion based on how personalised, beneficial and convenient being a part of the religious community is.

Emile Durkheim actually anticipated that the “growth of moral individualism was bound to reduce the significance of organised religion” (Redmond & Holmes, 2007, p. 172), which it clearly has within the context of modern day. As a result of people seeking to find their perfect ‘fit’ in terms of religion or spirituality it means that there are less people attending traditional services at a Church on a Sunday morning, as those institutes compared to the DIY approach, are very much one size fits all.

 

Mega-company, Apple, have been considered by some as a religion. Charlie Osbourne for instance does see some quality points in the belief that Apple is a religion. Osbourne states that “when you look at the way they advertise their product; it’s really about a more connected life” (Osbourne, 2012). With religion being such a loosely defined term with no real boundaries or barriers separating it from anything else in particular, when an Apple executive addresses to the audience to “reawaken and renew their faith in the core message and tenets of the brand [or] religion” (Osbourne, 2012), very similar language is used to that of a summary of the keynotes made at a traditionally recognised religious service.

Furthermore, Churches such as Scientology have advertised their Church through television ads and internet networking to attempt to change their perception and drive and encourage people to attempt to understand what it is exactly that they do and believe in. Thus from television advertising to simply having churches ‘revise’ their ‘product’ to being shorter and more entertaining services; branding has played a large role in maintaining a public image and encouraging parishioners to maintain their attendance at services.

Einstein, M. (2011). The Evolution of Religious Branding. Social Compass, 331-338.

Osbourne, C. (2012, October 25). Anthropologist 'confirms' Apple is a religion. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from ZDNet: https://learn.uq.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fcontent%2FcontentWrapper.jsp%3Fcontent_id%3D_120973_1%26displayName%3DLinked%2BFile%26course_id%3D_9393_1%26navItem%3Dcontent%26attachment%3Dtrue%26href%3D

Redmond, S., & Holmes, S. (2007). Stardom and Celebrity. London: Sage Publications.

 

Image courtesy of Pixabay: http://pixabay.com/en/foreign-trade-trip-abroad-emigrants-62743/

Week 5- The importance of Music to connect in prayer

Music whether inside or outside of a religious or spiritual context, has the power and ability to move people through emotional connections and in some case  enables people to feel some form of transcendence. Regardless of whether it is a song on the radio, a song at a service, or a piece performed by an orchestra; music connects with people in a way that text cannot. For music allows people the opportunity to express their passion and desire to connect with whatever it is that they are trying to convey. Furthermore, it is no surprise that churches that seek to approach and incorporate relevant and inspired songs such as the Hillsong Church are experiencing large amounts of success and people are simply connecting with the ideologies and the form in which they praise their love for God. The use of music in a religious setting is often used in “deliberate ways to assist people in leaving behind the profane and encountering the sacred” (Jennings, 2008, 161), further enabling participating parishioners to add an extra element to their fulfilling service, and deepening their engagement with the process; rather than just passively sitting and absorbing/ or not, information from a minister.

The Hillsong Church with their very exciting and adrenaline pumped songs and performances by their music team encourage the congregation to passionately worship God. At Hillsong, the songs provide an atmosphere that encourages movement and action whilst singing and being a part of the community worshipping the same ideals. Jennings says that “physical acts like clapping or singing open up your soul. Only when your soul is opened up to the spiritual can you experience encounter with God” (Jennings, 2008, 164) and attain a sense of complete spiritual satisfaction. The message and passion that experienced with songs and performances like that of Hillsong are powerful and have the ability to strengthen a person’s faith, as it enables the participant to feel positive and encouraged about practicing their faith.

 

Comparatively to the Hillsong approach to the integration of popular music with a band and modern songs, there are still very traditional views of what role music should play within a religious service. For instance, most traditional religious services and their ministers continue to play old- themed song with a choir, an organ and most often, a piano accompaniment. Rupert Till states that “traditional religious cultures have become increasingly culturally irrelevant, refusing to discard out-dated traditions that have little to do with the literature or the teachings of the faith itself, but rather are often accumulations of cultural habits that have become associated and intertwined with the belief system itself” (Till, 2010, 169) . Till highlights the great confusion of young parishioners as to why the services cannot be more relatable and engaging.

It has become increasingly apparent that parishioners need to feel that the service is both relevant and relatable to their needs. Furthermore, as religions become “increasingly out of touch with youth culture… those groups will go looking elsewhere for such experiences of physical and spiritual ecstasy, looking increasingly within cults of popular music” (Till, 2010, 171). Therefore the increasing popularity of Churches like Hillsong that provide the congregation with opportunities to connect on multiple levels with God, and to communicate through music; establishing increased popularity is no surprise, as it provides for the needs of todays’ market.

Image courtesy of pixabay: http://pixabay.com/en/guitar-guitar-player-concert-music-67419/
Video courtesy of YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmgWpjE_kdE

Jennings, M. (2008). 'Won't you break free?' An ethnography of music an the divine-human encounter at an Australian Pentecostal Church. Culture and Religion, 161-174.

Till, R. (2010). Pop Cult : Religion and Popular Music. London: Continuum International Publishing.