Regional Interfaith Dialogue, Connecting and Cooperating for Peace and Harmony In the Asia-Pacific region
Interfaith and The Media
On Saturday, an Italian song about the emptiness of Western consumer culture came sixth at Europe’s wildly popular song competition, Eurovision. Occidentali’s Karma, by Francesco Gabbani, was Italy’s entry to the contest, and while the song (which is flush with Buddhist references) didn’t win, it was a hit with critics. The song was the most watched music video of the contest and was chosen as a favourite by fans and the press.
Interfaith practitioners recognise the impact of the media on public opinion and their critical relationship to peace and harmony, interfaith and intercultural understanding, nation building, social cohesion and social responsibility.
Media literacy programmes in schools are needed to help develop a discerning and critical approach to news coverage about religions by media consumers.
Faith communities need to engage with the media, build relationships, provide them with news and information and enter into dialogue with them, provide journalists and media researchers with training in interfaith and inter-cultural understanding along with exchange programs in the region.
Faith leaders need to acquire skills and competency training to assist them to communicate effectively with and through the modern media, and provide resources for media outlets to train reporters in religious issues.
Successive Regional Interfaith Dialogues have called for the development and provision of training for media managers, journalists and journalism students on religious and cultural diversity, in partnership with interfaith experts and national and international media organisations; and encourage the development and review of codes of conduct and standards for the exercise of media freedom with responsibility; and support the establishment and strengthening of processes of dialogue among media executives , journalism trainers and religious and interfaith leaders.
You can read more about Interfaith and The Media here.
Three religion bloggers talk about how they are enabling faster, more accurate and more in-depth analysis of current issues facing religion today.
A two day symposium on Religion Journalism will be conducted by the Griffith University Multifaith Centre, 30-31 October 2013
The 2013 NZ Diversity Forum will be held on Sunday and Monday 25-26 August in Wellington.
This symposium will examine how journalists can better report on faith and how faith leaders and opinion makers can encourage the inclusion of religious perspectives in the news.
Journalists in Kuala Lumpa were told by the Deputy Prime Minister to consider multi-religious nature of society.
JAKARTA: The second international Islamic media conference held at Jakarta’s Sultan Hotel from Dec. 12 to 15 has called on Muslim media organisations around the world to strengthen their cooperation in defending Muslim causes, spreading the message of Islam and promoting world peace and stability.
Ayse Meva – Media & Values Panel
A panel titled Media and Values which took place in Melbourne on the weekend of Saturday April 2, 2011 witnessed the detailed examination of the media and its biases by local and international journalists and academics.