Splendid images” “

“The religious media are quicker to ‘react’ to new tendencies than the general media”, says CLAUDE LONGCHAMP , director of the Institute for research on politics, communication and society in Bern. Referring, in particular, to the death and funeral of John Paul II and the election of Benedict XVI, Longchamp notes that “the splendid images transmitted by the Catholic Church in this regard” represent “a stimulus for the media”. On 22 May, the Swiss Catholic Church will celebrate “Media Sunday”. The chosen theme this year is: “The means of communication at the service of entente between peoples”; for the occasion, flyers portraying an angel with an olive branch in one hand and a video-camera in the other, against the slogan “The media for peace”, will be distributed in the parishes of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. “The Church considers the means of communication not only as products of human ingenuity, but also as enormous gifts of God for the transmission of his Gospel”, declared Bishop Bernard Genoud of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg, co-chairman of the department of the media of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference, in his message for “Media Sunday”. In view of the special day devoted to the media on 22 May, APIC (Catholic International Press Agency) interviewed him. We publish one or two passages from the interview. What role is played by religious affiliation and reflection in the formation of public opinion, in particular in view of the referendum of 5 June on the legal recognition of homosexual couples? “The main factors of influence in the formation of ‘political’ opinions are the political parties, belonging to a particular linguistic region, opposition between town and country, social class, age and sex. Religious affiliation intervenes only secondarily. There are, however, exceptions, as in the case of the debates on the interruption of pregnancy. As for the referendum, I think that there will be no significant differences in opinion at the confessional level. Antagonism is more likely to be expressed between those circles very attached to religion and those more liberal and secular”. What’s the role played by the media in information/formation? “Most of the population is informed through TV, radio and the popular press. If people want to examine an issue in greater depth, they may also take into consideration the religious and confessional media. The specialized press reacts quicker to new trends than the general press, but the issues that are discussed only by this type of press are not taken into consideration by the public at large. In this regard, internet plays an important role. When I seek information on a particular subject on the web using keywords, I often come across religious or confessional sites containing really interesting articles. The dichotomy between specialized press and mass media is not so marked on the internet”. Do the dailies compete with the religious periodicals? “The fact is that a religious issue is only treated at any length in the press if it is linked to current affairs. Otherwise it will be relegated to the inner pages, and read by a type of public that is already au courant with the issue, perhaps through the specialized press. I myself do not consult the religious press as a priority. Besides, religion, in the way I perceive it, must have difficulty in defending itself in a society geared ‘to the short term’. Religion pursues other goals, such as, for example, the major questions of the meaning of life. There do exist, however, some ‘political’ issues on which it would be interesting to hear the point of view of the confessional press; they include the question of the opening hours of shops and work on Sundays”. The death of John Paul II and the election of Benedict XVI have had an extraordinary impact in the media… “The death of John Paul II was a genuine religious event; only the tsunami last December and the war in Iraq two years ago were given so much coverage in the media. The tension linked to the death of the Pope ought not to remain without consequences; many young people have for the first time shown an interest in religious questions. The fragility of John Paul II, displayed in public, prompted negative reactions, but also much admiration; it turned his death – an event considered private by our society – into a matter of public discussion, relegating to a subordinate level other issues such as the shortage of priests or the situation of the parishes, which are only now beginning once again to occupy the Church. The value attributed by the Church to the image also helped as a result to reinforce the ‘media phenomenon’. The images transmitted from Rome were splendid. The Catholic Church considers the image a valuable opportunity for being able to communicate with simple people. The same goes for hymns, based on simplified lyrics and melodies”.