A few thoughts about religion and the media...

So when I first sat down to write this blog, I found it all a bit overwhelming. Not because I didn’t have anything to write about on the topic of religion and media, but because I have so many thoughts that I didn’t know where to start. My two majors in my degree at UQ are religion and media studies. When I chose these two fields of study many questioned my decision as they deemed them to be an awkward fit. I have to admit; I also, at times, questioned how suited these two fields were to each other. However, throughout my three years of university life, not only have I realized that the media in the 21^st century is fascinating and important field of research that influences almost every aspect of life to some degree, but religion and the media have a very close, and significant relationship also. When these two phenomena coincide they either have the ability to create a wonderfully balanced and unified society that is educated on and open to difference, or on the other hand cause instances of intolerance and misdemeanor - it all depends how we use the media to the best of its ability. 

I think these are the ideas that fascinate me the most about the relationship between the media and religion. How can we as a society utilize the media for positive change in order to create unity and educate the masses about religion? This is why I really enjoyed reading Stig Hjarvard’s article about the mediatization of religion. He made several points that really resonated with me. He used an example of the Mohammad Cartoon incident in order to highlight that the media do play a deciding role in the framing of religious controversy. He also discussed ‘mediatization’ as the idea that “religion is increasingly being subsumed under the logic of the media” (Hjarvard, 2008). In other words, religion is being filtered through a media funnel and is gradually changing and adapting. For me, this is a fascinating progression to observe, and sometimes it feels as though some people are resisting the changes the religion is undertaking, because they are fearful of the unknown.

Hjarvard mentioned at several points during his piece that the media transform and build upon religious ideas. Certainly, at times, the media have a tendency to represent religion and religious issues in a bias or tarnished way. However, I think it is important to embrace change, and accept that the media is an integral part of modern society, and it has the potential to work with religion and the dissemination of religious messages in a positive and constructive way.