{"id":361,"date":"2011-04-27T11:49:42","date_gmt":"2011-04-27T15:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/catholicsmediaandculture\/?p=361"},"modified":"2011-04-29T21:46:40","modified_gmt":"2011-04-30T01:46:40","slug":"10-ways-christians-can-promote-a-positive-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicsmediaandculture\/2011\/04\/10-ways-christians-can-promote-a-positive-culture.html","title":{"rendered":"10 ways Christians can promote a positive culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s time to go on offense (without being offensive). <\/strong> This week I’ve been focusing on the losing game<\/a> Christians have found themselves playing of biting every time somebody attempts to bring attention upon themselves by intentionally insulting our faith and values in an accelerating and relentless bit to manufacture conflict and controversy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The problem is we’ve been playing the game by Big Media rules on Big Media turf. It’s time we change that.\u00a0 Here are ten suggestions:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Don\u2019t complain create.
\n<\/strong> To some extent that is being done — and the success of several faith-friendly attest.\u00a0 From The Blind Side<\/em> to Soul Surfer<\/em> to all those
\nPixar movies, box office results have proven that traditional values maintain strong audience appeal. If we make good movies,
\nproduce great TV shows, create great music and videos and write compelling books the audience will come — if they know
\nabout it. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Distribution and marketing are key.<\/strong>
\nThe primary problem in getting faith-friendly material out into the culture is that the current media power structure, while it likes
\nto make money, also likes to be considered cool in their social circles.\u00a0 Edgy is good. Dark (i.e. cynical and pessimistic) comedies
\nand dramas are cool.\u00a0 Hopeful storytelling focusing on kindness and faith are deemed by the critical elite as “treacly” and
\n“manipulative.”\u00a0 Certain groups are in, certain groups are out (almost like some kind of high school clique played out on a large
\nstage). A like mindset pretty much overhangs the entire media distribution and marketing system.<\/p>\n

Rather than always depending on cultural gatekeepers who don’t necessarily share our cultural concerns, believers and
\nsupporters of traditional values need to invest in the distribution and marketing mechanism. Imagine if a consortium led by a\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/a> Philip Anschutz<\/a> (just to suggest a name) had bought NBC Universal. That would have been a true game changer.<\/p>\n

Or, imagine if Rupert Murdoch<\/a> was to take his conservatism out of the realm of news and politics (i.e. Fox News Channel) and
\ntransform News Corporation’s struggling MyNetwork<\/a> into a non-political entertainment venue for traditional values television.<\/p>\n

There’s a lot of money to be made going after a very large under-served portion of the audience.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Stand for consumer empowerment not censorship.
\n<\/strong>I generally get annoyed at the same things Media Research President Brent Bozell<\/a> does. I think the media, particularly in recent
\nyears, has taken a nasty turn that is too often hostile to religious faith and traditional values.\u00a0 Where I tend to disagree with him is
\non the matter of the FCC and government censorship.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Besides actually supporting free speech, I think pushing for additional government control of media is the wrong battle. I’d much
\nrather see a push for things like mandated ala carte cable deals. You’ll notice that you don’t have to purchase 200 apps to get the
\nones you actually want for your mobile device. You don’t have to buy 500 books from Amazon to get the one you want.<\/p>\n

Why is television so different? Why are our cable and satellite fees going to support channels we don’t want and may even offend
\nus?\u00a0 Why aren’t consumers allowed to choose packs of 10 or 20 channels and have hour fees divided between the cable operator
\nand the channels we actually want to see?<\/p>\n

Sure, a lot of cable channels would disappear due to lack of demand (that’s the way it is in the real world).\u00a0 But others would grow
\nfinancially stronger (in part due to a greater share of consumer fees) and be able to offer higher quality programming (i.e. less
\ndegrading reality crap).<\/p>\n

That simple change would result in more programming that is in tune with traditional America.\u00a0 It wouldn’t wipe
\nout objectionable programming. There’s an audience for it. But there’d be less of it. And it would have be actively be requested
\nand invited into the home.<\/p>\n

Fight for consumer empowerment, not censorship.\u00a0
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

4. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Expose the demographics scam.
\n<\/strong>Why in the world has seemingly the entire world has bought into the notion that one sliver of the audience is worth more than
\nanother sliver? Such overt discrimination is not something we’d accept in other areas of life.<\/p>\n

Demographic-based ratings have created a system in which you can slice and dice the audience in a thousand different ways to
\ndeclare shows with relatively small audiences to be major hits and shows with much larger audience to be disappointments.\u00a0 What
\nit really is is a way to elevate one group’s cultural values over another in a way that sidesteps actual societal support.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Use new media.<\/strong>
\nShort of buying a major film studio or TV network, new media (i.e. E-books, web videos) offer a great opportunity to put positive
\nideas into the culture. Technology has become a major chink in the armor of the cultural gatekeepers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Don’t be thin skinned.
\n<\/strong>Everyone doesn’t have to like us or what we stand for.\u00a0 If some in the media insist on making vicious, nasty attacks it’s usually
\nbetter to let it go.\u00a0 They love the publicity generated by angry Christians (it makes them feel so cool) and, besides, life is too short
\nto worry about such things.<\/p>\n

On the same point, it’s important to make distinctions between legitimate criticism and healthy humor and actual bile. Legitimate
\ncriticism of the Catholic Church’s handling of its sex-abuse scandals, for instance, is not the same as a pointlessly-nasty work of
\nsupposed art (of which we’ve seen many examples) that does nothing but insult a person’s beliefs. Likewise, humor aimed at
\nChristian hypocrisy can be funny (particularly when it hits on something that’s true) and should be taken not only in stride but as a
\nlesson on behavior to avoid.\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Play nice.
\n<\/strong>Christian and\/or traditional values media should not be used as a means to get back at others who we think unfairly insulted us.
\nLikewise, we are not called to judge or condemn other people.\u00a0 Doing so is wrong and only gets in the way of the positive messages
\nof\u00a0 hope, faith, love, personal responsibility, gratitude and forgiveness we should be focusing on.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Avoid heavy-handed sectarianism.
\n<\/strong>When it comes to actual storytelling, tell great ones with great characters and an underlying attitude of faith.\u00a0 Bring in religion
\nand\/or Bible quotes only when it actually fits the story. Subtlety is good. Heavy-handedness never plays well.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Have fun. <\/strong>
\nSociety, particularly these days, could really use more entertainment that is just plain joyful and optimistic about life. There’s a
\nthirst for comedies that find humor in our common humanity and not in snarky putdowns or each other.\u00a0 Christians should be able
\nto provide that.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0 Have faith.
\n<\/strong>In the end, darkness always gives way to light.<\/p>\n

And, as always…<\/p>\n

Encourage one another and build each other up \u2013 <\/em>1 Thessalonians 5:11<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s time to go on offense (without being offensive). This week I’ve been focusing on the losing game Christians have found themselves playing of biting every time somebody attempts to bring attention upon themselves by intentionally insulting our faith and values in an accelerating and relentless bit to manufacture conflict and controversy. 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