Mediatization

The subtle (or not so subtle) messages presented by the media influence all those who watch. Viewers simply cannot wait to buy the latest and greatest, and they must have it now. It is not hard to recognise this happening, yet often people allow themselves to give in.

Have you ever thought about the way the media is influencing our cultural practices and beliefs? Hjarvard (2008) identifies that the "mediatization of religion" is part of the "process in which the media have taken over many of the social functions" (p. 10). Would you be as passive if you knew that even our methods of mourning were being influenced by the media?

In fact, Hjarvard (2008) recognises that the media are not only covering religious issues but, through the coverage of different religious topics and organizations, are indeed altering peoples' perceptions of what religion is. When thinking about my own interaction with religion in the media I can recognise the impact that the media has had on my views of particular religious organisations, just the same way as the media can be accused of influencing views of different racial groups.



Meyer (2012) states however that media has always been entwined with religion. When considering sensational forms, Meyer (2012) highlights that different media forms (such as text, visual, auditory - The Bible is one example) are used by different religious groups to evoke a connection to the transcendental and that such sensation forms have been adapted in the past.


Meyer (2012) continues this by stating that "the adoption of modern media allows for the reformation and reactivation of religion in our time" (p. 165). This view is supported by Hjarvard (2008) who recognises that popular culture has a large influence on religion. With internet access readily available, religious topics and views can easily be shared, discussed and debated (Hjarvard, 2008). This global, consumer oriented environment opens the doors for symbols and messages to be transported to an increasingly diverse audience leading to the formation of new religious movements (NRM) (Hjarvard, 2008).

NRM are becoming increasingly common with such movements oriented towards the consumer (Hjarvard, 2008). As such, NRM become a "source of identity and meaningfulness" in a world where individuals are searching for a purpose in life (Hjarvard, 2008). This need comes about as a "shared religious style" offers a stable platform on which to view the world and participate in society (Meyer, 2012). These NRM are considered by Hjarvard (2008) to be Banal religious representations where "both individual faith and collective religious imagination are created and maintained by a series of experiences and representations" (pg. 15). This allows for religious meaning to be made outside of institutionalised religious representations and may just allow for the re-enchantment of the modern world (Hjarvard, 2008).


The mediatization of religion has brought about many changes to religious practices. From facilitating easier access to sacred texts, to influencing our perceptions of what it means to be religious, to promoting NRM the reflect our popular culture (Hjarvard, 2008). The effects of mediatization are occurring continuously and will continue to shift our understandings of religion (Meyer, 2012).



References

Hjarvard, S. 2008. The mediatization of religion: A theory of the media as agents of religious change. Northern Lights, 6(1).

Meyer, B. 2012. Religious sensations: Media, aesthetics, and the study of contemporary religion. In Lynch G. and J. Mitchell with A. Strahan (Eds.), Religion, Media and Culture: A Reader. 159 - 170. London and New York: Routledge.



Image Source

Account card [Image]. (2010). Retrieved from http://pixabay.com/en/account-bank-business-buy-card-1778/

Book [Image]. (2013). Retrieved from http://pixabay.com/en/book-historically-antiquarian-old-92571/

System Network [Image]. (2012). Retrieved from http://pixabay.com/en/system-network-news-personal-71228/

Religion, Spirituality, Media and Me

If my 20 years living in society have taught me anything it is that all humans need to believe in something. There is always a way of thinking that people define themselves by - whether it be because of a fear of the unknown, a sense or experience of something one cannot explain, a way of distancing oneself from such notions, or simply as a way of life. For many years now I have questioned how a spiritual encounter can ultimately lead to once unknown books and rituals becoming law for one person or indeed a group of people.

I have subscribed in part to the idea that each of these choices, the dedication of oneself to a belief, was for a reason. That there was something in the culture of that belief that spoke to the individual and that made the individual have hope that they could develop into a better person. Whilst I have always held on to the hope that belief systems were operated primarily on this basis of improving people’s lives and providing a purpose for doing good, my critical self always questions how something that is so personal can, in a way, be massed produced.


The article Culture Industry Reconsidered by Adorno and Rabinbach (1975) identifies the concept of the “culture industry” which has, for a long time, made me question the interaction between the media and structured religious groups. The “culture industry”, as termed by Adorno and Rabinbach (1975), is the idea that products are in fact “tailored for consumption by masses” (p. 12). Adorno and Rabinbach (1975) recognises the role that the culture industry has in the “development of the consciousness” however questions the quality and intentions behind the social phenomenon of which consumers are considered to be passively engaged (McDannell, 2012). This notion raises concern for me when considering the relationship between media and religion as it indicates that the spiritual importance of religion could easily be overlooked in preference of profit. For me I see this in the Easter and Christmas celebrations each year. There is very little mention of deep religious issues found in media coverage yet chocolate eggs or Santa hats have become a necessity and very much part of the popular culture.

In his chapter, Scrambling the sacred and profane, McDannell (2012) raises the idea that if we look at what religious members do, the culture they engage in everyday, we can see a lessening in the distance between the sacred and profane.  In addition to the idea of Easter eggs this can also be seen in the media coverage of the Pope. Whilst the Pope is still considered sacred, the media positions us to become not so interested in his holy status but in the "red" shoes that he wears. However, is this distorting religion and carefully compiling the story to maximise consumption or is it indeed that we are becoming more interested with the material forms of religious rituals?

Both McDannell (2012) and Adorno and Rabinbach (1975) consider the notion that people want an element of deceit or enchantment that provides an escape from day to day drudgery and highlight that people are more and more turning to popular culture to do this. However, McDannell (2012) turns away from the idea that mass culture is passively consumed to the idea that it is a “contested terrain” that allows “small groups of people to create their own cultural lifestyle” (p. 143). This gives me hope that, whilst the media may twist stories of religion, or in fact choose to exclude them, individuals and societies are not blindly consuming them but they indeed give us the platform to question “the world as it is constructed” (Adorno & Rabinbach, 1975, p. 18).


References

Adorno T and AG Rabinbach. 1975. The Culture Industry Reconsidered. New German Critique. 6, Autumn, 12-19. http://orgnets.cn/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/21-adorno-culture-industry.pdf

McDannell C. 2012. Scrambling the Sacred and the Profane. In Lynch G. and J. Mitchell with A. Strhan. Eds. Religion, Media and Culture: A Reader. 135-146. London & New York: Routledge.


Image Source

Bible [Image]. (2013). Retrieved from http://pixabay.com/en/bible-christianity-holy-book-pages-85815/


Video Source

Geobeats. (2013, February 28). How will Pope's attire change now? [Video file]. Video posted to  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6yUnweND5c