XV Church and secular media
XV.1. The media play in the modern world an ever-increasing role. The church with respect refers to the work of journalists designed to supply broad layers of society by timely information about what is happening in the world, orienting people in the current complex reality. It is important to remember that informing the viewer, the listener and reader should be based not only on solid commitment to the truth, but also on the care of the moral state of the person and society, which includes the disclosure of positive ideals, as well as the fight against the spread of evil, sin and vice . Invalid are propaganda violence, hostility and hatred, national, social and religious retail, as well as the sinful exploitation of human instincts, including for commercial purposes. The media with a huge influence on the audience bear the greatest responsibility for the upbringing of people, especially the younger generation. Journalists and the leaders of the media are obliged to remember this responsibility.
XV.2. The educational, teacher and social and peacekeeping mission of the Church encourages it to cooperate with secular media, capable of carrying her message to the most different strata of society. The Holy Apostle Peter calls Christians: "Be always ready for anything that you require a report in your hope, give an answer to meekness and reverence." (1 Pet. 3. 15). Any clergyman or layman is called upon with due attention to contacts with secular media in order to implement pastoral and educational business, as well as to awaken the interest of secular society to various sides of church life and Christian culture. At the same time, it is necessary to show wisdom, responsibility and prudency, meaning the position of a specific media in relation to the faith and church, the moral orientation of the media, the state of the relationship between church priests with one or another body of information. Orthodox laity can directly work in secular media, and in their activities they are designed to be preachers and exercises of Christian moral ideals. Journalists who publish materials leading to the plantation of human souls should be subjected to canonical ads in case of their belonging to Orthodox church.
As part of each of the types of media (printed, radio-electronic, computer), which have their own specifics, the church - both through official institutions and through private initiatives of clergy and laity - has its own information remedies that have a blessing of priestly. At the same time, the church through its institutions and authorized persons interacts with secular media. Such interaction is carried out as by creating special forms of church presence in secular media ( special applications to newspapers and journals, special stripes, series of television and radio programs, rubrics), and beyond those (separate articles, radio and television services, interviews, participation in various forms of public dialogues and discussions, consultative assistance to journalists, distribution among them specially trained information, provision of reference materials and opportunities for obtaining audio and video materials [shooting, recording, reproduction]).
The interaction of the church and secular media involves mutual responsibility. The information provided by the journalist and the audience transmitted to them must be reliable. The opinions of clergymen or other representatives of the Church distributed through the media must comply with its teaching and position on public issues. In the case of an expression of a purely private opinion, it must be stated unequivocally - both by the person who speaks in the media and the persons responsible for the reporting of such an opinion to the audience. The interaction of clergy and church institutions with secular media should occur under the guidance of church priests - with the coverage of general terrain activities - and the diocesan authorities - when interacting with the media at the regional level, which is primarily due to the coverage of the life of the diocese.
XV.3. During the relationship between the Church and secular media, complications and even serious conflicts may occur. Problems, in particular, are generated by inaccurate or distorted information about church life, placing it in an improper context, mixing the personal position of the author or a cited person with a general terrorist position. The relationship between the church and secular media is sometimes darned by the fault of the clergymen themselves and laity, for example, in cases of unjustified refusal to journalists in access to information, a painful reaction to the right and correct criticism. Such questions should be resolved in the spirit of a peaceful dialogue in order to eliminate bewilders and continuing cooperation.
At the same time, the deeper, fundamental conflicts between the church and secular media arise. This is happening in the case of the injury of the name of God, other manifestations of blasphemy, systematic conscious distortion of information about church life, deliberate slander to the church and its servants. In the event of such conflicts, the highest church power (in relation to the central media) or the diocesan pre-secrecy (with respect to the regional and local media) can, according to the relevant alert, and after at least one attempt to enter into negotiations, take the following actions: to terminate the relationship with the corresponding Media or journalist; call on believers to boycott this media; Contact organs state power to resolve the conflict; To betray the canonical proscribes of those perpetrators in sinful acts if they are Orthodox Christians. The above actions should be documented, they should be notified and society as a whole.
Church and secular media
XV.1. The media play in the modern world an ever-increasing role. The church with respect refers to the work of journalists designed to supply broad layers of society by timely information about what is happening in the world, orienting people in the current complex reality. It is important to remember that informing the viewer, the listener and reader should be based not only on a solid commitment to the truth, but also on the care of the moral condition of the personality and societyThat includes the disclosure of positive ideals, as well as the struggle with the spread of evil, sin and vice. Invalid are propaganda violence, hostility and hatred, national, social and religious retail, as well as the sinful exploitation of human instincts, including for commercial purposes. The media with a huge influence on the audience bear the greatest responsibility for the upbringing of people, especially the younger generation. Journalists and the leaders of the media are obliged to remember this responsibility.
XV.2. Educational, teacher and social and peacemaking mission of the church encourages her cooperation with secular mediacapable of carrying her message to the most different layers of society. The Holy Apostle Peter calls on Christians: "Be always ready for any, requiring a report in your hope, give an answer to meekness and reverence" (1 Pet. 3. 15). Any clergyman or layman is called upon with due attention to contacts with secular media in order to implement pastoral and educational business, as well as to awaken the interest of secular society to various sides of church life and Christian culture. Wherein it is necessary to show wisdom, responsibility and prudency, meaning the position of a specific media in relation to the faith and the church, the moral orientation of the media, the state of the relationship between church priests with one or another body of information. Orthodox laity can directly work in secular media, and in their activities they are designed to be preachers and exercises of Christian moral ideals. Journalists who publish materials leading to the crust of human souls must be subjected to canonical ads in case of their belonging to the Orthodox Church.
Within each of the types of media (printed, radio-electronic, computer), which have their own specifics, the church - both through official institutions and through private initiatives of clergy and laity - it has its own information funds that have a blessing of priests. At the same time, the church through its institutions and authorized persons interacts with secular media. Such interaction is carried out as by creating special forms of church presence in secular media (special applications to newspapers and journals, special strips, a series of television and radio programs, rubrics) and beyond those (individual articles, radio and television services, interviews, participation in various forms of public dialogues and discussions, advisory assistance to journalists, distribution among them by specially prepared information, providing materials of a reference nature and opportunities for obtaining audio and video materials [Shot, recording, reproduction]).
The interaction of the church and secular media involves mutual responsibility. The information provided by the journalist and the audience transmitted to them must be reliable. The opinions of clergymen or other representatives of the Church distributed through the media must comply with its teaching and position on public issues. In the case of an expression of a purely private opinion, it must be stated unequivocally - both by the person who speaks in the media and the persons responsible for the reporting of such an opinion to the audience. The interaction of clergy and church institutions with secular media should occur under the guidance of church priests - with the coverage of general terrain activities - and the diocesan authorities - when interacting with the media at the regional level, which is primarily due to the coverage of the life of the diocese.
XV.3. During the relationship between the Church and secular media, complications and even serious conflicts may occur. Problems, in particular, are generated by inaccurate or distorted information about church life, placing it in an improper context, mixing the personal position of the author or a cited person with a general terrorist position. The relationship between the church and secular media is sometimes darned by the fault of the clergymen themselves and laity, for example, in cases of unjustified refusal to journalists in access to information, a painful reaction to the right and correct criticism. Such questions should be resolved in the spirit of a peaceful dialogue in order to eliminate bewilders and continuing cooperation.
At the same time, the deeper, fundamental conflicts between the church and secular media arise. This is happening in the case of the injury of the name of God, other manifestations of blasphemy, systematic conscious distortion of information about church life, deliberate slander to the church and its servants. In the event of such conflicts, the highest church power (in relation to the central media) or the diocesan trap (in relation to the regional and local media) may, according to the relevant warning and after at least one attempt to enter into negotiations, take the following actions: to terminate relationships with the relevant media or journalist; call on believers to boycott this media; appeal to state authorities to resolve the conflict; To betray the canonical proscribes of those perpetrators in sinful acts if they are Orthodox Christians. The above actions should be documented, they should be notified and society as a whole.
Your Eminence, all-way fathers, dear colleagues!I sincerely glad to welcome the participants of the first international festival of the Orthodox media "faith and the word". Today, employees of print publications, radio, television and Internet publications from the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, journalists of secular central media, church journalists from fraternal local churches are gathered in this room. For the first time, employees of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad are also participating in the work of such a representative forum - this is a joyful testimony of our unity to which we walked for many years.
Let me remind you that at the 2004 bishops in the speech in the speech of Patriarch Alexy, the intention of creating a working group on the formation of a unified information policy of the Church was expressed. I think that fruitful discussions that will be held at the sectional sessions of our festival will be aware for the activities of this working group, which will soon be formed.
The Russian Orthodox Church gained freedom at that historical moment when the process of creating a market economy and the "large jump" of Russia in the direction of the modern information society began in Russia. Although the church is an organism with its own business entry and with its specific system of communications, which are rooted in the canonical law, tradition and, ultimately, in the Holy Scriptures, nevertheless, the market economy and the enormous influence of communications are two new global The reality that put in front of the church is in its social being - numerous problems. They require theological understanding, on the basis of which the practical activity of the church in the media is possible.
Patriarch Alexy has repeatedly expressed in detail the problem of "Church and Media". The topic of the media is affected in the "basics of social teaching" adopted at the 2000 Bishops Cathedral. Let me remind you that
The 1st point of chapter 15 encourages journalists to moral responsibility. Clause 2nd describes the conditions of cooperation between the Mijan and Clearying of the Russian Orthodox Church with secular media (can the laity work in secular media and can be subjected to canonical proscribes in this regard who are authorized to express the point of view of the Church, etc.). Item 3rd is dedicated possible conflict Between the church and the media for specific publications and describes the actions that the hierarchyan synodal and diocesal level can take: boycott, circulation to the civil authorities, canonical ads in the relationship of Christian journalists, etc.). Of course, this chapter "The foundations of the social teaching of the Russian Orthodox Church" contains only the first approximation to the topic "Church and Media" and requires creative development.
I do not take the courage to offer your attention an exhaustive analysis of this problem - such work is only a team that unites church scientists of many specialties. I will follow several important items.
At the early stage of its development, two to three centuries ago, the media informed the reading public about the most important events, about the decisions of the authorities, and also served as a platform for discussions, thanks to how historians write, the public was largely formed. In those days, the press certainly served as a free exchange of views. The concept of "freedom of speech" had a well-defined meaning: newspapers and magazines allowed society without regard to the state censorship to express citizens on topical issues. But by the end of the twentieth century there was a much more complex picture: the initial social functions of the media became significantly changed under the pressure of commercialization. The media turned into a major business. And business dictates its own rules. The media owners look at the reader and the viewer as a consumer. At the same time, the spiritual needs of a person are moving away to the background, and momentary desires, entertainment are nominated and encouraged. The media, as many theorists say today, do not just offer a person certain things and looks for life, they today form a person as a consumer of these things, impose a certain style of life and the way to understand the world. Modern media all less place Paying "limit issues", the questions, the answer to which only faith gives. This inevitable process, more and more commercialization of the media puts several issues at once.
Responsibility of publishers. Do business representatives feel - media owners - social and moral responsibility for the influence that they have on society and man? I think that the church must remind these wealthy people, that not everything is exhausted by profit, which ultimately will have to keep the answer in front of the Lord.
The possibilities of the educational mission of the church in modern media are significantly limited to the dictatorship of the market. Religious programs and publications do not represent interests for advertisers, in contrast to criminal reports, entertainment programs, talk shows, etc. The church has no money to buy airtime on the same conditions as the manufacturers of toothpaste or gasoline. For no first year, we are talking about the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church should have its own federal television channel and its radio station with a large broadcast range. However, it requires enormous means. Obviously, this issue cannot be resolved without cooperation between the church, states and representatives of large business. And this is one of the priorities of our information policy.
Position of a journalist
The church cannot set itself a goal to change social processes, she appeals to each soul, prays about its salvation and indicates the path. We do not have political recipes, and we understand well that not everything is solved in the field of legislation, although many legislative restrictions are welcomed - this also applies to violence on television, and non-restrained alcohol advertising.
And yet, most importantly, our hope is due to the fact that in the life position of all the head of the media, a journalist, the editor will occur. Ultimately, the global trend of the commercialization of the media opposes only the awakening voice of the conscience, only the active consciousness of responsibility - "Mount the Tom, through whom the temptation will come to the world."
Improving the quality of church periodicals
In conditions, when the market dictates their conditions to mass editions, we have the opportunity to contact readers from the pages of church media.
A targeted improvement in the quality of our publications is one of the priorities of the information policy of the Russian Orthodox Church.
What kind of measures will help to significantly improve the state of Orthodox periodics?
We need to create a faculty of church journalism, preparation tutorials On the history of church journalism and in modern practice, including taking into account the experience of local churches.
Journalistic Forum, which we open today, a very important undertaking. We think that it should be further complemented by the annual summer school of church journalism and other forms of trainings and seminars, which should be in the system of advanced training of editors and authors of church publications.
Essential is the issue of financing church periodicals. There is a proven way to support the best publications - a system of grants and subsidies. It successfully operates for secular media. Such a system should be in the field of church periodicals. The best publications around which the active, energetic team should receive support. Today, the question of the creation of the Orthodox media support fund is called. Representatives of the Synodal Departments, the Moscow Spiritual Academy, as well as representatives of large and medium-sized businesses should be included in the leadership of this fund. Special question: Can the state can subscribe church media? In my opinion, maybe. First of all, this concerns publications that are socially significant and turned not only to church audience. We have many such editions. This is the historical and church magazine "Alpha and Omega", and theological works, and "Church and Time", as well as publications on church art, for social work, youth newspapers and magazines. They may argue: the church is separated from the state, and therefore subsidies are impossible. But for many years, secular media, often even occupying a hostile position towards the authorities, received subsidies from the Ministry of Press. The system of grants of the Ministry of Printing has been preserved after the recent administrative reform.
Informational policy priorities
Orthodox editions - both diocesal, and published by individual parishes and groups of the Mijan - as much as the enlightenment serves. But when we are talking about "information policy," we mean the special direction of journalistic work. First of all, we are talking about clarification of decisions taken by the priestly.
In October 2004, a bishop cathedral took place at which the acute questions rose. Definitions that concern each arrival, each diocese, were taken. Today, the Church requires "information vertical", and church journalists - especially the editors of publications - should be creative to clarify the solutions of the cathedral. It is not enough just to reprint the protocols.
Let me remind you that at the Bishop Cathedral, the most important decisions on the restoration of the Institute of Church Court were adopted, instructions to develop the position of the Church on globalization were given, a detailed assessment of the activities of supporters of canonization of Ivan the Terrible and Gregory Rasputin was given. In the speech of His Holiness Patriarch with great alarm, the state of Sunday schools and the crisis of Orthodox gymnasiums was said. These and other topics should be the subject of permanent publications, clarification. Each church journalist and the publisher - and the priest, and the layman - are called on to the general worker work in these areas.
I want to emphasize: if the mysters learn from the pages of church press is argued, in an accessible language to explain our position on topical issues, we will not be able to count on the fact that we will be correctly understood by government agencies, society.
The experience of the past convinces us that the voice of the church can be heard in the conditions of "freedom of speech", in a democratic society. I remind you of only one example from the pre-revolutionary past: the journalism of the priest Archpriest of the Philosopher of the Ornatsky - the publicism of great social significance, had a great resonance in pre-revolutionary Russia after the constitutional reform of 1905, when social democrats and monarchists, and left, and right . His word was intelligible, it sounded convincing not only for the Petersburg intelligentsia, but also for hundreds of thousands of ordinary people. Journalism of the father of the philosopher of the Ornahsky and many other wonderful shepherds and the laity remains an inspiring example for us.
Andrei Zaitsev, browser of the portal "Religion and the media" specifically for RIA news.
At the last September 22 in Moscow round table RIA-news "Church and media. Where is the source of the contradictions?" In which journalists were attended by Andrei Zolotov, Alexander Plipkov, Sergey Chapnin, Maxim Shevchenko, and Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin and Deacon Andrei Kuraev, several fundamental statements were made, about development paths relations between the church and the media.
This externally protocol report hides an important meeting that opens up new prospects for cooperation between secular media and religious organizations. Moreover, the problem is, how and what to write about religion in general and the Russian Orthodox Church in particular, unusually relevant in our time: it is enough to recall the reaction in the Muslim world on the statements of the Pope Benedict XVI during the lecture at the University of Regensburg and the upcoming trial Between the browser of the Moscow Komsomol Center, Sergey Bychkov, and Deputy Chairman of the OSDS of the MP, Archpriece, Vsevolod, Chaplin. The last event and became a formal reason for the round table.
What problems are there in the relationship between journalists and religious organizations? Answers to this question are quite obvious - open almost any publication on the religious topic, and you will see the traditional set of topics: religious holidays, scandals, relationships of believers and unbelievers. This list can be continued to infinity, but as TV presenter noted, head of the Center for Strategic Studies of Religion and Politics modern Mira Maxim Shevchenko: " Many people would like the church to be a strange community of strange people who mentally located in the Middle Ages" Unfortunately, this approach is partly penetrated into journalistic materials, which indicates the crisis of the perception of the Church, on the one hand as a social institution and, on the other hand, as a sacred space in which there is no place for criticism. This tension in the dialogue is due to the fact that the modern tradition of journalism dates back to his roots to the era of the Renaissance (the responsible editor of the newspaper "Church Vestnik" Sergey Chapnin said about this), and some representatives of the Church subconsciously consider secular publications and concrete journalists as their flock(This was notified by the chief editor of the Internet portal "Religion and the Media", Chairman of the Guild of the Religious Journalist Alexander Plipkov). From this complex attempt at understanding and mutual recognition of secular society and religious organizations and is stem, which characterizes the relations of the church and the media. Religious organizations are generally a difficult partner for the media not only of our country, but also for the world media community. In Russia, this situation is also complicated by the fact that power, society and church did not fully understand how to perceive each other (about this, in particular, the editor-in-chief of the magazine RUSSIA Profile, the winner of the European Award John Templton in the region Religious journalism Andrei Zolotov).
The attitude of society to the Church is quite contradictive: it seems to be the ROC in all sociological surveys, it is a social institution that enjoyed the greatest confidence from Russians, but the same Russians are happy to discuss how much money from a church hierarch, is there people inside the ROC with non-standard people Sexual orientation, and the level of questions to the priest of most people, not excluding journalists, is often limited to sacramental: "Is it possible to go to the cemetery for Easter?" About this feature of the perception of the Church by the post-Soviet society in 1992, an academician Sergey Averintsev wrote: " Our new Orthodox, okoloprivaposy, sympathizing, that is, the "wide public" seems to me too similar to children. The day before yesterday, they did not think at all for church topics; Yesterday, every aspaning of the bishop seemed to them an angel or holy, which had just come down from the icon; Today they are read on with newspaper exposures about the sacred synod as a branch of the KGB ... So a teenager who learned the bad details about his adorable idol, in a hurry to credit him into the monsters of the human race. But he and a teenager. We will not ask what is worse - the dignity of the lungry or school dust of the exposure; One thing is worth another, because then the other is alien to the feeling of responsibility. " The "wide public" of journalists underwent the same changes in their attitude to the ROC, and the existing picture is approximately such.
All journalists writing about religion can be divided into two groups: working in secular and confessional publications. Pivots write materials on religious themes or regularly (such enough enough, and they were almost all on the round table), or episodically on the eve of a large religious holiday or those cases when religious themes becomes the lead. Confessional journalists mainly consider the internal problems of the Church, as well as various protocol events related to the bishop ministry and other official ceremonies. A lot of confessional and missile publications are quite a lot, but they have a limited audience and are almost unknown to the general public. Recently, secular editions more actively began to look closely to the church. The media community and authorities are gradually aware of the importance of a religious factor in society. More thoughtful and detailed materials in the media appear. This trend noted Alexander Plipkov, who said that " the Guild of Religious Journalism and the Methodological Council on the coverage of religious subjects in the media, whose work paid great attention to Mikhail Seslavinsky and Andrei Romanenko was played by a positive role in the late 1990s." At the same time, for part of secular editions, religion still remains a secondary topic, to write about which any person can.
As a result, the situation arises, in which religious themes in the media are practically doomed to be in a certain sense. marginal. Religious events are usually poorly fit into the media format, since it is very difficult to find an adequate form of expression of trends taking place even in traditional religions. As the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Journalism of MGIMO, the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Foma" Vladimir Legotda, the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Foma", should understand that there are obvious and important things for a believer, but fundamentally untranslatable to the media language. The journalist cannot preach or explain to the reader dogmatic teachings of the Church, but it can adequately reflect the life of religious institutions, if it is attentive, corrected, professionally prepared.
Behind the latest "Turisists" hides a very important problem of modern media, which is widely discussed at the round table. Should secular journalists write about religion, take a special "Code of honor" or expose their own materials more rigid censors than the authors of texts, for example, about real estate? On the one hand, it is obvious that no additional "Committee", the "Code of Work Rules" cannot be developed simply because the church is the same object description for the journalist, as well as the rest. Obviously, rudeness in relation to clergymen and the insult of religious symbolism is unacceptable, but it is also clear that rudeness and insult is prohibited in relation to all people and to all more or less significant symbols and phenomena, which is already reflected in the law on the media and in the administrative code . On the other hand, the question inevitably arises that you can write about religion in general and churches in particular? Do I need to take religious figures from the criticism zone, turning them into the "kings", which can be said about "either well or nothing"? And here the position of the Church is very important to the dialogue with the media.
The importance of such a dialogue emphasized Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, who spoke out against the introduction of censorship, and thanked journalists for thoughtful, analytical and critical materials About church problems, based on the results of which the RPC itself was able to resolve certain controversial situations. O. Vsevolod stressed that religious organizations should be opened to the dialogue with the media, since this is one of the types of church's Christian ministry. Unfortunately, such a position is divided away from all representatives of religious associations.
It is clear that in recent years, the dialogue between the ROC and the media has become quite increased, and religious leaders and the most active representatives of the clergy often appear in the press: Patriarch Alexy II, Metropolitan Smolensk and Kaliningrad Cyril, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, Diacon Andrey Kuraev and a few more Names. These people are actively expressed by modern issues, they are open and sufficiently available for the journalistic community. But the problem is that with the exception of one or two dozen representatives of all traditional religions of Russia, nor a majority of journalists nor society can call a single name, and therefore religious life outside of several cities remains a kind of terra incognita. Ignorance gives rise to rumors and myths broadcast from pages of newspapers and electronic media, which more or less actively picked up by citizens of our country. At the same time, not all gossip is harmless, since the defects of believers and the priesthood. Demand gives birth to a proposal, and readers are forced to judge religious organizations in those information that journalists offer them. As far as it is dangerous, the situation with Benedict XVI, who quoted the words of the Byzantine emperor Manuel Paleologus about Islam. Some editions told about this readers, "Forgetting" to indicate that this is a quote, which Pope does not share at all. As a result, the Islamic world reacted sufficiently rigidly, and the consequences of this incident are not yet clear.
On December 9, a seminar on the topic "External ministry of the Russian Orthodox Church in the first decade of the 21st century: tasks and priorities", in which, in addition to OSD officers, were attended by representatives of some synodal institutions, clergymen, public figures, scientists. As a representative of secular religious journalism, the seminar participated in the chief editor of the portal "Religion and Media" Alexander Plipkov.
According to the workshop of the seminar of the Metropolitan of Smolensky and Kaliningrad Cyril, Osps, the chairman of which he is, plans to hold such meetings regularly. "I am a supporter of open church politics ... we need to hear testimonies and votes from the side," said Metropolitan. He suggested that several major topics relating to the "external ministry" of the ROC for discussion. However, during the work of the seminar, which took the form of free exchange of views, it was on the benefit of the second topic: "The participation of the church in the country's social life: goals, methods, forms. Information policy of the church." Other topics are supposed to be discussed at subsequent meetings.
One of the main directions of the external activities of the ROC is to build relations with the authorities, which is especially relevant in view of the start of the work of the new composition State Duma. Metropolitan Kirill spoke out for an open dialogue with power structures, stressing that OVDS is primarily engaged in contact with the executive authorities; Interaction with the Duma, according to him, does not allow to solve many issues relating to the Church. In general, according to the chairman of the OSDS MP, social activity Churches in new conditions should be calm and constructive.
Offering to build a "honest system of relations of the church and power," Metropolitan Kirill once again opposed the creation of a special state body "on the affairs of religions", since, in his opinion, such a body will necessarily interfere in the internal affairs of the Church, in particular, in its personnel Policy, as it was in the Soviet past, and ultimately - "as a cancer tumor eating a church body."
"ROC plays a big role in overcoming extremes in liberal thinking," said Metropolitan, turning attention to the reciprocating role of the church and the need to facilitate the establishment of a "civilization balance". The seminar sounded voices that insist on the fact that it is necessary to seriously comprehend the civilizational role of Orthodoxy in the face of modern global challenges. The basis for such comprehension to many see the Social Concept of the ROC, adopted by the 2000 Bishops Cathedral. The opinion was expressed that it could serve as a foundation for the development of the "idea of \u200b\u200bnational modernization based on traditional values."
It turned out, however, that such proposals are quite consistent with OPS plans. Metropolitan Kirill said that the next World Russian People's Cathedral, which will be held in February 2004 and the co-chair of which he is, will be devoted to the topic "Orthodox world" and, in particular, considering Orthodoxy as a civilization phenomenon.
As for the Social Doctrine of the ROC, it should be recognized as more than the logical proposal of some participants in the seminar on the further development of conceptual issues marked in it. Actually, the document itself is called "the foundations social concept"What implies more in-depth work on its separate themes. Among the latter, it is clearly to be allocated to the more than relevant themes of the secularization and globalization, which only a few pages are devoted to the Basics (see the last section of the document). In this regard, however So far nothing is done at the official church level, although since the adoption of social form has passed for more than three years.
Collecting the intellectual forces (it was, in particular, about the possibility of creating a special center for the formation of the ROC positions on all topical issues), the development of the provisions of the social doctrine, the implementation of the open dialogue of the church with power and the public, is good and right, but it is unlikely to give it Visible results without thoughtful and effective information policy of the Church. IN modern conditionsMoreover, if we take into account the specifics of the media work, no good deed will "work" for the benefit of the church in a nationwide scale, if it has not manifested itself in the information space, there was no attention to consumers of mass media. Today it is clear to everyone. Apparently, it is more clearly recognized by representatives of the Church Institution. Metropolitan Kirill agreed that currently there is an effective information policy in the RPC, as well as the special discussion of this problem.
With journalists from official representatives of the Church for a long time a lot of problems. This is mutual misunderstanding (conversation often goes to different languages), and the lack of relevant qualifications in the writing and talking brethren (journalists who professionally engaged in a religious topic can still be practically recalculated on the fingers), and, on the other hand, the well-known closure of church institutions, the lack of specially trained workers to communicate with the press. Of course, the church needs not only to develop their own funds The media is probably primarily on the Internet (this is a special topic), the church is interested in penetrating the secular media space. During the discussion of this topic at the seminar, Alexander Plipkov called on the representatives of the Church to the greater courage and openness in the media relations, especially since the journalists themselves who are humanly mistaken, need such communication. In turn, Metropolitan Kirill noted the importance of discussion with the journalists themselves of the information activities of the Church to hear and their opinion on this.
The topic "Church and the media" is complex, and the problems associated with it, of course, are not reduced to the above. In our opinion, the main difficulty lies in the fact that any information about the church, as well as the word that the church is called to convey to the general public (as a potential flour), in modern secular media space, if necessary, must "be filed" in such a style and on Such a language that the church itself, in her inner life, are not peculiar. Otherwise, informing, and the sermon, at least in the form of moral estimates, will, so to speak, rather. In other words, the main thing is the problem of translation.
Actually, the mass media, as this term itself says, perform the function of the intermediary, the mediator. They carry out mass communication, broadcasting information, that is, transmitting it from the source to the consumer. And, of course, in the process of transmission, the content of information is interinted. It is inevitable because, as we have known for a long time, there are no clean facts, but there are interpretations. Therefore, any information in the transmission process undergoes transformation. Who transforms it? The media themselves - in accordance with both the qualifications and competence of their employees, and with the installations of the editorial policy, which is affected by the mass of factors, including ideological (ideological) and political.
This in this case is about secular media. Confessional can afford to speak on the intracerer, because their addressee is actual or potential members of the Church. Moreover, if confessional editions use the "external" language, it is unlikely that their readers will understand. But in equally, consumers of secular media are unlikely to understand what we are talking about if they are talking about church language. Therefore, the task of the church in a secular media space - to offer not just information about his inner life or church sermon, but such materials that are already "translated" into secular language (in a broad sense), that is, in advance, to independently invest in the proposed information necessary churches and The interpretation corresponds to its self-impact.
Probably, when they talk about the need to upbringing and preparing "church journalists", it should be borne in mind this task. But it's not just the preparation of journalists; More precisely, the process of such preparation itself implies the fulfillment of another, very complex, tasks, namely, the development of a special language of secular journalism, adequately illuminating religious life. Such a language that would be simultaneously adequate to religious content and the form in which this content turns out to be acceptable to the media and intelligible to consumers. Otherwise, without considering the specifics of modern mass communication, the church will not be able to use mass media channels for their own purposes and in their own interests.
More or less successful experiments of the production of such a "special" language, of course, there is, but in general, in our opinion, he has not yet formed. Moreover, there are often such experiments perceived "in the bayonies" by some church jeques (including representatives of the clergy), which for the form of the filing of the material do not see any useful for the church of the content, nor the true intentions of the authors, and therefore are ready to see that it does not seem to be a direct sermon or Affective "Church Protection", perceive and qualify as "anti-car journalism".
Honestly, the "black and white" separation of people - and journalists, including - on their own and strangers, for "defenders" and "enemies", the church can hardly serve as a valid good of church; Rather, repels from the church many of its potential members and just those who relate to her with respect and confidence. As noted during the discussion at the seminar, Metropolitan Kirill, in the socio-political space, direct appeal to religious values \u200b\u200bdoes not work. This is true and in relation to the mass media, as they are "flesh from the flesh" of society and politics (both in a wide and in the narrow sense of the word policy).
The seminar, held on December 9, is not the first experience of discussing the activities of the ACS with the participation of invited professionals, representatives of the public and the media. At the beginning of last summer, there was already a similar meeting dedicated to the interaction of the ROC and the World Council of the Churches, which was attended by the Securral Securities of the WCC Konrad Ryser.
Summing up the seminar, Metropolitan Kirill once again noted that an open discussion of topical topics and problems will help the church in its activities. One can only welcome such an installation on the use of the possibilities of the "Cathedral mind" (speaking in the church language), or (speaking in Language Language) on collective understanding of what needs in such an understanding and discussion. Any actions aimed at overcoming the entire one who gives themselves to know the closures of the Church Institution, is a step towards society, which is important and relevant, if you keep in mind that it is about society, which seeks to become a civil society.
The next seminar in OVDS MP is scheduled for the end of January.