Peek-A-Boo! Catholicism and Christianity in Media Around the World

A cross adorned obelisk at the Vatican in
Rome, Italy.  

Media coverage on Christianity (and especially Catholicism) in the United States is constantly full of controversies and arguments. Before my trip, I was not sure if this would also be the case in other countries.  While in Europe, I saw a wide variety of tones towards Christianity within media; many of them vastly different than what is in the United States. Some parts of Europe were full of stories related to Christianity, while others seemed to have no coverage of Christianity at all. I was amazed specifically by the vast differences between the U.S, Italy and Belgium.

Living in the United States, Christianity in the media has become a very touchy subject. Our media often sees Christianity as a controversial issue, especially when stories focus on the Catholic Church. We now mostly reflect Christianity when it becomes a controversial subject, such as whether to allow the Ten Commandments outside courthouses or crosses marking deaths along roadsides. The Catholic Church has constantly been in the news with stories about sex scandals and abuse. The media tends to paint either a negative or positive picture of organizations, and the Catholic Church has taken a hard hit by the U.S media. Discussions about other religions are welcome in the U.S media, but Christianity and Catholicism have been met with a cold shoulder. We have tried to keep the Christian version of “God” out of the picture while trying to encompass all other religions.

 While in Europe, I noticed how differently their media handles Christianity. Christianity is still a reigning part of the culture and media in most parts of Europe. Christianity and Christian influence, especially of Catholic affiliation, can be found easily in European journalism. There are many stories about Christian leaders, media outlets basing themselves in Christian values or solely on Christian issues, or focusing on stories related to churches and religious foundations. Europe’s media seems to acknowledge its Christian population and background while the U.S media seems to ignore it.

I saw the most extreme differences Brussels, Belgium and Rome, Italy.  Brussels is steeped in Christian monuments and churches while Rome is the center of the Catholic world, being the home of the Vatican and the pope. Christianity is prevalent in both of these cities, yet the media coverage in each is completely different.  

While in Brussels, I saw a city filled with Christian monuments and churches are scattered throughout the city. Yet, to my surprise, religion in Brussels is crumbling. According to our tour guide in Brussels, Gareth Harding, Brussels is a city “losing its’ religion.” Although steeped in Christianity, most people in Brussels do not partake in any type of religion. Some churches are beginning to fall apart because they are no longer in use; some are even used as an area upon which men urinate.  Most people in Belgium see themselves as indifferent towards religion. The media there does not have much of a focus on religion, whether positive or negative. It is almost completely left out of the picture. The media focus is generally directed toward the European Union, which is headquartered in Brussels. Regional, national and international politics take the main stage in Brussels media.

Our Brussels tour guide, Gareth Harding,
enjoying a mussels and frites lunch with us.  

Churches in Brussels. 

Visiting Rome showed me a completely different view towards Christianity, especially with regard to the Catholic church. Rome’s media outlets are constantly consumed with stories relating to Christianity, Catholicism and the pope. While in Rome, we learned about two religious-based media outlets, Vatican Radio and Rome Reports. Christianity is not a taboo or controversial issue within Rome’s media; it is a normal, everyday occurrence. Discussing Christianity does not cause any disturbances or arguments; it is expected. Consumers of Rome’s media expect to see news relating to Christianity and the Catholic world. There is little public or private backlash against the reflection of Christian or Catholic tones in media. There are many businesses that report solely upon the Vatican and the pope. This brought up a question that was intensely debated during one of our group coffee chats: Can these outlets still be considered reliable news sources?

                                                     Rome Reports Official Website

People await at the Vatican to hear Pope Benedict XVI speak.

Pope Benedict XVI gives a speech from the window of
the Vatican.
Vatican Radio Official Website

Sign for the Vatican Radio inside their studio.

I believe the answer is not clear-cut. Some in our group argued that those outlets cannot be trusted to report unbiased, trustworthy news because they are affiliated or connected to organizations upon which they report. Some argued that these outlets cannot be considered true “journalism” because it is not being a “watchdog” for society, it is not reporting from all sides and it only focuses on one part of the story. But some of us wondered, does journalism have to fulfill these duties? Can a story be created with one focus, one prospective and still be worthwhile? Should these outlets be considered journalism or propaganda? It depends who you ask. Some of my group said those outlets are biased, do not fulfill the purpose of journalism and write only what they want readers or viewers to hear. Others argued that it is perfectly fine for a media group to be based upon one idea, such as reporting upon a religion or social issue. We came to an agreement that the most important aspect is if these outlets report the truth, such as actual events, quotes and stories, without adding a personal bias or opinions. It is possible to create a media outlet with a religious or social cause behind it, but one must be careful to not cross lines between reporting stories objectively and defending a particular viewpoint.

Overall, my experience in Europe in regards to journalism helped me open my eyes to the differences in journalism found throughout the world. A subject such as Christianity can be viewed differently anywhere. I believe that journalism is what you make of it and you must be accountable for your work and how you approach it. I feel I have a much broader view of international journalism now and appreciate how subjects take an entirely different tone depending upon where you are consuming or writing the news.

From left: Europe Tour 2011 group members
 Lindsay Laderoute, Katelyn Young and Kelsey Kennedy
in Rome, Italy.

Written by: Lindsay Laderoute
University of Missouri-Columbia
Journalism-Strategic Communication