Over the last few days, I have been constantly looking for news on the war between Israel and Hamas. Our hearts reel with anger at Hamas’s vicious and deadly attack. They go out to the families of the victims that have tragically lost their lives in the violence. No doubt, there are deep complexities at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict. At the same time, I am increasingly aware of how the news industry is affecting my consumption of the news.
Certain elements of the media industry package and frame what is happening on the ground. As a case in point, one particular video of Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip is set to heavy metal music, as if it was a new action movie, fresh out of Marvel Studios. Often, it seems as if the news industry confuses concerned global citizens with a consumer of entertainment.
As Alisa Gulyanski astutely observes in an article about the conflation of news and entertainment: “While seemingly harmless in isolation, these media sources often take the place of mainstream news outlets, blur the lines between caricature and reality, and indoctrinate audiences with a skewed perception of politics. . . even traditional news has (d)evolved to resemble that of sports networks, consisting of dogfight-like debates and senseless animosity between commentators.”
So how do we meaningfully engage with the news industry?
Engaging with the News Industry
At its best, media—print, television or digital—is about informing, educating, and facilitating communication among people. One can imagine that if the Fall had not happened, people would enjoy honest and true communication today—free from deception, manipulation, and greed.
At the heart of the news industry is the goal of promoting transparency, democracy, and the dissemination of knowledge. This is the genuine value the news industry offers the world. However, in a fallen world, the corruption of the news industry leads to sensationalism, fake news, biased reporting, and prioritising profit above quality journalism.
Jesus acknowledges that the news of wars is troubling.
The effects of this corruption are obvious. We feel the effects of increasing polarisation and conflict. Media outlets subtly or overtly cater to the preconceived views of people. As a result, people trust their preferred media outlet as bastions of truth. On the other hand, they consider the media outlets of their “opponents” as biased, deceptive, and full of fake news.
To complicate things further, software algorithms feed our confirmation bias. The more we follow a particular channel, the more of that channel we are likely to see. As a result, the harder it becomes to see any alternative viewpoint. This leads to distrust, agitation, fear, and insecurity.
Trusting the Good News
In one of the most telling passages of the last days, Jesus offers a profound theology of the news. He says in Matthew 24:6-8, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”
Jesus acknowledges that the news of wars is troubling. In fact, it is natural for people to believe that we are fast approaching the end. We might feel anxiety and worry. But Jesus tells us how to respond. “See that you are not alarmed.”
Jesus assures us that he has the final word over all these world events—the big and the small.
Watching the News in Light of the Good News
Jesus invites us to see through the framing and packaging of the news industry. He wants us to see God’s sovereignty over all of human history. He invites us to look past ideological readings and commentaries.
We can acknowledge that no news outlet is perfect and no outlet sees in full—each has their limitations. The fall affects everyone, even our preferred media outlets.
At the same time, we can affirm what is true and good in our preferred media outlets. But we can resist trusting them blindly, and challenge them when necessary. We do not simply take it for granted that our preferred media outlets and pundits have the absolutely right view on a topic. As thinking Christians, loyal to the truth, we can challenge ourselves to listen with discernment; to look for answers that are true, holistic and nuanced.
We can acknowledge that no news outlet is perfect and no outlet sees in full.
We can listen with generosity to our “opponents” to learn and understand their viewpoint. The reason we can do this is because we know that our struggles are “not against flesh and blood” but “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12).
We do not always have to agree with everything someone says. Nor does it mean we cannot take a side. Sometimes we can and should take a side. Other times, we may be wise to remain neutral. Deciding how to respond in each case is the work of wisdom and discernment; something we cannot do without a community of godly, competent thinkers. Personally, I involve my church in these conversations.
Questions to Help Us Engage with the News Industry
No matter what, the point is that God invites us to critically engage with the news through the lens of the gospel. Here are some questions to practically help us do that.
- Do the news stories I consume reflect a fair and impartial perspective?
- Am I open to hearing diverse viewpoints, even if they challenge my preconceived notions?
- Do I consider the ethical standards and practices of the news outlets I follow in light of the gospel?
- Do I pray about what I see in the news? Can I invite Jesus to speak to me about it?
- How do I respond when I encounter biased or sensationalised reporting?
- How do I react emotionally to news stories involving suffering or tragedy?
- Am I empathetic toward those affected by the events I encounter in the news?
- Am I derogatory and condemning towards those that I do not agree with? Can I accept that sometimes my “opponents” might be caricatured by my preferred outlets?
- Do I consider how the news I consume contributes to the well-being of society?
- Am I willing to challenge news outlets that engage in biased or unethical reporting—even if it is my own preferred outlet?
- Do I actively support media outlets that adhere to high journalistic standards?
- How do the news stories I choose to engage with align with the values of love, compassion, justice, and truth found in the gospel?
These are not the only questions we can ask. But they help us to question the ways the news industry packages information for us. These questions can help us become more self-aware of how the news is affecting us personally. Most importantly, they can help us invite Jesus into how we watch the news.
The News Industry in the New Creation
We can rest in the true good news that He calls us to guard and keep the truth, listen with empathy and compassion, and ultimately look to him as the true, sovereign King of this world.
In the new heavens and the new earth, we do not know what will become of the news industry. But one thing is certain: the presence of sin will be gone forever.
We will live in a landscape where truth, integrity, and public interest are valued and treasured. The deception of fake and biased news will be gone forever. “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12).
