The Emerging Electronic Church by Father John Edappilly is an excellent book on how the media has a profound effect on the world, religion, and daily human life. Before reading this book the media to me was more just simply "news and information." News and information that was provided in various different forms and mediums including newspapers, journals, magazines, television and the World Wide Web. In addition, the media certainly seems to dictate and mold what we think and how we view current events and ideals. For me, when it comes to my faith and religion, I have never really been concerned about how the media can have an effect. However, after reading this book I am much more aware of how the church not only 'is' affected by the media but 'can' use the media to its advantage.
             "Communication has to be participatory. It has to be seen as a process through which the exchange and sharing of meaning is made possible." (Edappilly p. 257) These are two excellent sentences that really sum up how the church can sort of seize the day when it comes to media. The Church certainly can use the media to its advantage, and it many cases has, to spread its 'word.' Take for instance faith based publications, religious shows on television, and the numerous websites that deal with religion. However, it's not just about spreading the word, but spreading the word the right way. The church needs to be more proactive in restoring and initiating relationships with the media outlets to get the "good spin" on things. Not just using their own religious forms of media but all forms of media, especially news media. While the media generally does respect freedom of speech, we must remember it is the news editors, reporters, and journalists that determine what news is. It is up to the church to persuade the media what news they should print.
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