Towards a Catholic Church Television

During the autumn assembly, the German Episcopal Conference spent an entire day discussing the Ecclesiastical commitment towards the new media. The issue of the church’s image on the media and possibilities and risks related to German television programs have also been pondered. Mr.Alexander Foitzik of the Herder-Korrespondenz interviewed president of the Commission for the Media of Germany’s Bishops Conference, bishop Gebhard Fürst, from Rottenburg-Stuttgart. Excerpts of the interview:Fragmented representation. Mr. Foitzik wonders whether the entire day spent by the German bishops on the “Church and the Media” topic was induced by tight financial resources, entailing a strict focus on efforts, or rather by poor achieved results. The bishop declared that the creation of a Catholic German TV didn’t emerge by chance. “We use books, newspapers, and now also the Internet- why shouldn’t we also include TV? ” he replied. “After this meeting we decided to concentrate first of all on our online presence and video-streams”. Going back to the motivation of the commitment, Mr. Foitzik asked if the disappointment of the Church’s mass-media image or media programs void led the bishops to take these steps. Msgr. Fürst admitted the Church “is represented in a fragmented way, interest is focused on extraordinary, spectacular and scandalous events”. “Therefore we must find an opportunity to show who we are and what we do, to inform and use the media according to a Christian spirit”.An independent offer . Msgr. Fürst claims “the church fulfils more good deeds than those publicly broadcasted and acknowledged” and must communicate its commitment also to tax-payers. For the bishop, however it has nothing to do with trying to “compensate” what public television lacks, this is not the reason behind the creation of an ecclesiastical TV by the bishops. “It is however possible- the bishop added- to make an independent offer, which mirrors the Church and its message to the world where we live. I’m certain we will not achieve high listening shares, but at least we will be perceived”. “This issue – Msgr. Fürst said – has already received a broad coverage”. “There are 26 million Catholics, people who still belong to the Church and pay their taxes- a lot of publicity”; among them we can mobilize at least one hundred thousand viewers. To the objection “that through a channel centred on such a restricted target the inadequate image” of the Church cannot be corrected, the bishop explains that “correct is the wrong word”. The goal is not of reaching a multitude, but to distinguish itself by offering programs with different format and content like for example WYD or Christianity in Africa and Asia. Opinion formation. Herder-Korrespondenz asked about the consequences a Catholic TV can have on other means of communication. Msgr. Fürst highlighted “we are not starting a new initiative to replace another”. These are additional projects, and will receive funding if they are valid. On the Catholic Church’s presence in programs, Msgr. Fürst claimed “four contributions out of one thousand are centred on the Church”. This shows contracts between the State and public broadcasters, “the rules on the German’s Church presence on television are not followed”. Therefore the Church wants to provide integration, in contrast with normal talk shows on important issues such as bioethics. ” Many people, who know very little, talk about this issues, leaving the interested viewer unsatisfied”. Our community “is able to work, only if the media enables communication among different social groups, through programs that help the formation of opinions. Can the single dioceses’ television suffice? Msgr. Fürst replies that “something done in common is always better than the sum of individual activities”; the main flaw is fragmentation. Activities in this area, he concludes “will not lead to miracles, but we have an uncultivated field, that if well exploited can be fruitful”.