Jose Reader explores reactions to the GA06 sexuality and leadership decision
General Assembly-related media coverage will always be an issue within Presbyterian circles, with many bemoaning the focus on sexuality and leadership and believing coverage was sensationalised.
I have a couple of yardsticks for whether an issue has been sensationalized – unnecessarily prolonged coverage and emotive (rather than fact-based) reporting. Because neither of these factors were present in the General Assembly-related coverage that I saw and heard, I don’t believe the coverage was sensationalised. When we consider that the majority of reports were largely confined to the four days after the decision, accurately reported the facts surrounding the decision and included comments from both perspectives, it is difficult to find evidence to support calls that the reporting was “sensational”.
Stories on sexuality in leadership ran in every major news outlet in the country including The New Zealand Herald, The Dominion-Post, Radio New Zealand’s Checkpoint, the Otago Daily Times and numerous other regional daily newspaper and radio stations. And, of course, there was also coverage in Christian media like Challenge Weekly .
So why did the sexuality in leadership issue get so much coverage? Each news agency runs stories that are of interest to their respective audiences, so different stories (or aspects of stories) will be highlighted in different media outlets. The community at large is grappling with issues around same sex and de facto relationships, which is why this issue received prominent coverage across the board. The community is interested in this issue, so mainstream media report on it.
For this reason, we shouldn’t be surprised that the sexuality and leadership issue received so much coverage. Instead, we should welcome the community’s interest in what we have to say and look at ways we can take advantage of the opportunity it provides us to inform and advance public discussion.
When thinking about media coverage, we should also consider the chicken and egg argument: does media coverage shape community opinions or do community opinions shape the media coverage? I believe it’s a bit of both. The stories covered and the way they are reported are influenced by the community (those who attended the recent media workshops run by the Church’s communications team learned some techniques to assist with this), and in return, the resulting coverage helps inform the community’s views. It is all good and well for us to bemoan the coverage we receive, but we need to take responsibility for that coverage – both locally and nationally – and for reaching out and giving the Church a more prominent voice in our communities.
This is about much more than just responding to issues as they arise (as in the case of General Assembly), it’s also about being proactive and vocal on issues of importance to congregations. Proactively sharing our stories through local media can make a positive difference to a congregation’s profile and outreach programmes.
Many within the Church have given up caring about what is reported in mainstream media, but the reality is that we should not only care, we should actively pursue coverage in newspapers, radio and other media to communicate our important message.
Media coverage (both negative and positive) has a massive impact on how those in the community perceive the Church. Thousands of people read the newspaper every day in New Zealand, and what they read plays a part in informing their thinking. If those in the Church give up on the media, we’re missing out on a wonderful vehicle for communicating with and reaching out to those the Church is here to serve. Being Christ-centred and community facing was the theme of this year’s General Assembly. During her opening sermon, Moderator the Right Rev Pamela Tankersley spoke of the Church and its identity, encouraging commissioners to re-establish our identity in today’s world and to embrace opportunities to engage with our communities. Local media can be used as a tool to re-connect with our communities, and while this may involve doing things differently than they’ve been done before, I encourage congregations and Church leaders to embrace the opportunities presented by the media for us to become more Christ-centred and community facing.
Communications Manager Jose Reader is currently on a year’s parental leave