Saturday, April 02, 2005

Media Matters

Well, it is true that of the networks whose coverage I have monitored lately, CNN is the most disappointing. I really didn't need to hear Joan Chittister this morning informing us that the Holy Father represents the theology of the 13th century... (And she represents...?) I like a lot of Chittister's reflective work, and her book on suffering is one I recommend to anyone in pain. Well, maybe CNN edited out her nuancing.
And last night on Fox, was it Bill O'Reilly being so obnoxious about the Pope?
On the brighter side, however, there is a website (sponsored by the Daughters of St. Paul...) with a kind of sum-up of information on John Paul's life and pontificate. It is a great reference point for fact-checkers and for non-Catholics who may not have followed much of his life, travels and teachings or who don't have a clue about papal elections: www.johnpaulpapacy.com. Please spread the word!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ugh! I guess they knew the kind of reaction she can get, because CNN only had her identified on screen as Sister Joan, when I surfed past their channel this morning.

They have Lorenzo Albicete on right now. He's the one who does the godspy site, isn't he?

Anonymous said...

Hmm. Theology of the XIIIth Century? Let's see, now ... hey, wasn't that the century of, oh, Thomas Aquinas, the greatest of doctors?

Let's see La Chittister match those accomplishments. Humph.

Sr. Marianne Lorraine Trouve said...

It seemed to me that the coverage got better later on. John Allen was pretty good, especially in the way he talked about the way the pope embraced redemptive suffering. Some of the CNN reporters, especially Christiane Amanpour, seemed to want to say that the pope was out of step with the modern world. But she wasn't disrespectful. All in all I can't complain.
As I was watching all the people in St. Peter's Square, a wave of emotion hit me--how moving it is to think we're part of this great universal church, and now I feel like someone who's lost a father. So I was sitting there crying on the couch, and I was surprised that I felt the pope's death so deeply. I really love him. But now he can intercede for us in heaven.

Anonymous said...

Certainly the cable news channel commentary has varied a lot. As a Christian, however, I am surprised and grateful it has been so extensive.

O'Reilly and somewhat crude promos aside, I prefer FoxNews over CNN or MSNBC simply because its people seem more sincere and less cynical. With a wink of gladness, I suspect many of the producers, reporters and anchors, Christians themselves in a profession that usually suppresses any expression of faith--are trying to make the most of this opportunity.

I just enjoyed some particularly enlightening commentary on feminism--of the kind the Pope favored--by the excellent theologian Pia de Solenni, who has appeared numerous times on Fox. Martha McCallum interacted with her intelligently and supportively. If Pia had made those comments on CNN, Paula, Judy, or Christiane would be picking up their jaws off the floor, and she wouldn't be asked back.

Carlos said...

Dear Sr. Anne,

Thanks to you and the daughters for the wonderful website you put together in homage to our Pope. Great job.

It's nice to know that Sr. Joan is balanced off by women like you!

Anonymous said...

I'm sure, of course, that CNN always refers to Marxism as a "philosophy of the nineteenth century". Great philosophy (NOT Marx, but certainly Aquinas, inter alia, is not of any century. It is timeless.