The Influence of Religion on Media Discourse

Dear Colleagues,

The media does not offer precise definitions of what we are supposed to think, but does suggest what we should think about. Media texts determine status, impose social norms, show what is “normal” and thus shape the world of the individual and the entire society. The range of media influence is significantly supported by different types of media: newspapers, which expand media influence because they offer a wide range of information and millions of copies that reach the hands of readers on a daily basis; magazines, thanks to their specific content intended for a selected circle of readers; radio, which in most households has the advantage of being the first source of information; television, thanks to the combination of word, sound and image, has a high impact (i.e., it is "close" to the viewer); and the Internet, whose media influence consists of continuous and easy access to information, favors a more global and multidirectional communication pattern.

Media discourse, understood simply as the media representation or clarification of a certain topic of theory or ideology, is naturally associated with the media, as the media are perceived as one of the most important ideological tools. For this reason, media has a certain (both, positive and often negative influence) effect on individuals and society. Media are also responsible for the mediatization of religion—that is, religion discourse.

Media have taken over many of the social functions that used to be performed by religion. For instance, some blockbuster movies (such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy or Narnia) are more inclined to evoke metaphysical or supernatural imaginations. Additionally, a computer game such as World of Warcraft provides representations of religious issues and “truths” about what defines religion. Whereas some strands of faith were previously considered to be superstition and therefore were denounced, they are now considered legitimate thanks to films, music, computer games, etc. spread through the media (e.g., rumors and superstition present in the works of Dan Brown repeatedly challenged the cultural prestige of the institutionalized church). In short, the modern media not only present or report on religious issues, they also change the ways of thinking about religious issues, as well as the ways in which people interact with each other when dealing with religious issues. A whole series of questions arise that examine the media’s responsibility for disseminated ideas and discourses, including the consequences that these ideas and discourses bring.

We are pleased to invite you to submit your work to this Special Issue focused on the powerful role of the media and media discourse in relation to religion.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. We are interested in:

1) Why is media important in religion?
2) According to which genres of “popular culture” is religion formatted today?
3) In what ways can/should/must religion positively influence the current media discourse as an entity constituting reality?
4) In what areas is the role of religion irreplaceable in relation to increasingly dominant media culture?

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Hedviga Tkáčová
Prof. Dr. Terézia Rončáková
Guest Editors

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• religion
• religious values
• media discourse
• media manipulation
• media culture
• ideology