Press
Release
Forum on Religion and the Media
WNET/Channel 13 Studios
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Sponsored by the United Church of Christ and The Catholic
Conference of Bishops
Opening Remarks
By
Leonard M.
Baynes
Professor of Law and Director
The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic
Development
St. John’s University School of Law
Welcome! I am a professor of law and Director of the Ronald H.
Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development at St.
John’s University School of Law. In my scholarship and teaching, I
specialize in Communications Law and Race/Racism and the Law. I am
excited about being the moderator/facilitator of this important
forum on religion and the media.
I get the rare opportunity in this august setting of prominent
religious leaders to quote scripture. One of my favorite biblical
passages is from Mark 4:22, which provides: “For there is nothing
hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to
come to light.” This verse comes right before the passage dealing
where Jesus is saying a lamp isn't lighted and then put under a
bushel basket or hidden under a bed.
I think that this passage is relevant to our discussions today
because without the media, we would be all be in the dark about the
important events happening in the world around us. When I think of
historical role of religion and media, I think of Dr. Martin Luther
King (as the religious leader) who struggled for Civil Rights. The
media were instrumental in highlighting racial injustice. Major
religious figures like Dr. King were able to use the media as a
platform to discuss these great major moral issues. Dr. King
acknowledged the media’s role and said: “without the help of the
media, the voices of African Americans will always be muddled and
change will be very, very slow ….” More succinctly, he acknowledged
that any coverage was precious: “one tiny minute, just sixty
seconds in it. I can’t refuse. I dare not abuse. It’s up to me to
use it.”
When I think of religion and the media, I also think of the
United Church of Christ suing the FCC to enforce the Fairness
Doctrine. In the 1960s, some broadcasters in the South refused to
broadcast anything about the Civil Rights Movement. Instead these
stations broadcasted alternative coverage whenever Civil Rights
leaders spoke or placed a sign in the studios saying they were
experiencing technical difficulties. Dr. Everett Parker’s actions
helped to put a stop to racist behaviors of some of the Southern
broadcasters.
When I think of religion and the media, I think of Pope Benedict
XVI, in his message for this year's 40th World Communications Day,
where he warned against the "distortion that occurs when the media
industry becomes self-serving or solely profit-driven, losing the
sense of accountability to the common good."
I specialize in race and the media, and I see a lot of parallels
of the media’s coverage of people of color and the media’s coverage
of religion and religious figures. The media stereotype religious
groups, their leaders, and members especially those that they find
the most exotic. The media generalize from the activities of a few
individuals to the larger group. As a consequence, all Muslims are
radical jihadists, and all Christians are conservative. The media
fail to cover complexity; they go for simplicity. And they cover
the unusual and controversial, not the every day person of
religious faith.
In addition, the media cover controversial moral questions in
manner that fail to show their complexity or the diversity of views
among religious leaders of different faiths.
The media have historically played an important role in our
society in educating the public on important civic, legal, and
political issues. King’s activism and oratory coupled with the
media’s coverage created a unique combination that allowed for the
country to focus on racial inequality.
The mainstream media have a unique role in “manifesting” what is
secret and bringing it to light.” To have a true “marketplace of
ideas” in religious issues, we desperately need more responsible
journalism and coverage Only with appropriately crafted FCC
policies can we shine a bright light on the issues of concern for
religious leaders (and provide constructive solutions to these
stereotypes and media absences).