THE CATHOLIC MEANS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
( The Nigerian experience)
By Kenneth Inaku Egere
Introduction
The Catholic Church is a communicating Church. Since its beginning she has been making use of the available means of communication in reaching out not only to her members but also the entire world. Today, much more than ever our world is characterized by the mass media or means of social communication, and the first proclamation, catechesis or the further deepening of faith cannot do without those means. In the words of Pope Paul VI in Evangelii Nuntiandi ‘When they are put at the service of the Gospel, they are capable of increasing almost indefinitely the area in which the word of God is heard; they enable the Good News to reach millions of people. The Church would feel guilty before the Lord if she did not utilize the powerful means that human skill is daily rendering more perfect’
Quite unfortunate enough, the Catholic means of Social Communication in Nigeria is a very pathetic situation. This quagmire perhaps is because the government is strictly denying all the religious groups the license to practice or run either a radio or TV station. The only means of communication that is in use is the newspaper or better put the print media. To a very large extent this has been a success but then Nigeria been a country where a great percentage of the population cannot read and write such catholic media may not be the best.
As a matter of fact, newspapers are meant for the educated group in the villages, while a well run radio services satisfies everybody including illiterate even in the obscurest nook of the country and without much difficulty. More so, since the emergence of audio and visual means of communication, print media, especially newspapers, do not attract a wide audience again.
Few years ago when I took up the task of studying the role and function of the newspaper in the daily life of the people living in our diocese (Ogoja) using the ‘uses and gratification’ approach of communication research asking questions like why do people read the diocesan newspaper? What role do these papers play in their daily lives? The result was not positive at all. People were not able to be informed about the good news; the aim of providing the masses with fodder for both doctrinal and social discussions was dashed to the wall; tangible information of practical use could not circulate up to one third (1/3) of the population; reinforcing existing beliefs and to see what others believe was only a thing that remain in principles at best it remained only in the mind of the Editor and his crew. What a mirage?
Conclusion
As far as the church is concern and her mission of evengelisation with particular reference to the church in Nigeria, something has to be done with her means of Social Communication. In fact, the Pentecostal trend which in very recent times breeze profusely with her house to house evangelical strategy will end up creating more waves. The Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria should put in more effort influencing the government policies on mass media in the country so that the church can have her private radio and TV stations for transmission and broadcasting with a catholic identity.
Should these audio visual devices be put in use, they will certainly be a tremendous and wonderful results in her mission of evengelisation through the Media.
( The Nigerian experience)
By Kenneth Inaku Egere
Introduction
The Catholic Church is a communicating Church. Since its beginning she has been making use of the available means of communication in reaching out not only to her members but also the entire world. Today, much more than ever our world is characterized by the mass media or means of social communication, and the first proclamation, catechesis or the further deepening of faith cannot do without those means. In the words of Pope Paul VI in Evangelii Nuntiandi ‘When they are put at the service of the Gospel, they are capable of increasing almost indefinitely the area in which the word of God is heard; they enable the Good News to reach millions of people. The Church would feel guilty before the Lord if she did not utilize the powerful means that human skill is daily rendering more perfect’
Quite unfortunate enough, the Catholic means of Social Communication in Nigeria is a very pathetic situation. This quagmire perhaps is because the government is strictly denying all the religious groups the license to practice or run either a radio or TV station. The only means of communication that is in use is the newspaper or better put the print media. To a very large extent this has been a success but then Nigeria been a country where a great percentage of the population cannot read and write such catholic media may not be the best.
As a matter of fact, newspapers are meant for the educated group in the villages, while a well run radio services satisfies everybody including illiterate even in the obscurest nook of the country and without much difficulty. More so, since the emergence of audio and visual means of communication, print media, especially newspapers, do not attract a wide audience again.
Few years ago when I took up the task of studying the role and function of the newspaper in the daily life of the people living in our diocese (Ogoja) using the ‘uses and gratification’ approach of communication research asking questions like why do people read the diocesan newspaper? What role do these papers play in their daily lives? The result was not positive at all. People were not able to be informed about the good news; the aim of providing the masses with fodder for both doctrinal and social discussions was dashed to the wall; tangible information of practical use could not circulate up to one third (1/3) of the population; reinforcing existing beliefs and to see what others believe was only a thing that remain in principles at best it remained only in the mind of the Editor and his crew. What a mirage?
Conclusion
As far as the church is concern and her mission of evengelisation with particular reference to the church in Nigeria, something has to be done with her means of Social Communication. In fact, the Pentecostal trend which in very recent times breeze profusely with her house to house evangelical strategy will end up creating more waves. The Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria should put in more effort influencing the government policies on mass media in the country so that the church can have her private radio and TV stations for transmission and broadcasting with a catholic identity.
Should these audio visual devices be put in use, they will certainly be a tremendous and wonderful results in her mission of evengelisation through the Media.
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