The morning of 9/11, I had a brainstorm. Watching the horror unfolding at the World Trade Center, I immediately sent a fax (remember faxes?) to every owner or manager of every Christian television station I knew. I begged them to interrupt their regularly scheduled programming and start reporting on the tragedy in New York.
Obviously they didn’t have the budget or manpower to compete with major news networks, but they could report on the spiritual perspective of what was happening, offer comfort, or help people understand the religious issues behind it.
Many took my advice and brought in experts on Islam, Bible scholars, college professors, local pastors, and one station even did a cell phone interview with a person who was actually being evacuated from one of the towers.
The response was incredible, and I was hoping it would shake Christian TV stations out of the scheduled programming rut, so that we could build media platforms that dealt with immediate issues Americans are facing.
But since then, for the most part Christian TV has returned to it’s “regularly scheduled programming.” Just this past few days and weeks, we’ve seen major events unfolding internationally in Syria, Pakistan, and Kenya.
Most of these events have direct religious implications, and most directly involve Christians. And yet – when it comes to Christian TV – the Christian medium with arguably the largest audience – where is the reporting, interviews, commentary, insight, or Biblical perspective?
It’s tough to find.
Christian television continues to grow more and more irrelevant because we refuse to take the time or trouble to address issues that really matter – when they matter. If you work at a Christian station or network, think about it. I’m all for sermons, Bible teaching, interview shows, and movies. But consider the power of live, immediate programming with experts who can help us understand these world events.
Look around at the Christian universities in your area, pastors and ministry leaders who may be experts on the issue, or find other sources of information.
We get upset because secular journalists don’t get the spiritual perspective of what’s going on, and yet, when it comes to TV, are we offering a better alternative?
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For more than 30 years, Phil Cooke has helped nonprofits find their purpose and is now applying this experience to individuals: “During a long career in the media business I’ve talked to hundreds of writers, producers, directors, designers, executives, and other professionals and discovered that in most cases, one thing is all it takes to launch a project or dream.”
Learn more about the writer Phil Cooke
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Great question – are we offering a better alternative? The fact is, the media gets a lot of things wrong, speculating and summarizing until there is little left of truth or facts. I think that a solid, Christian, news/opinion show would be a great relief to many who are hoping to find some means of understanding what is taking place in our world. I pray that Christian networks will read your article.
In His Grace,
Michael
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