Religion a hot topic for media

Christian gatherings such as "The Call," which occurred July 7, have garnered a lot of media attention - much of which has increased in frequency during the past few months. Network television news has used its great wealth of resources throughout the years to try to gain insight into virtually every subject known to man.

From murder to steroids and beyond, they have tried to break down the most complex subjects into tiny morsels that are easily digested by the human brain. However, one subject for the most part has eluded them - until now.

The subject of religion has become a hot topic for shows such as ABC's Nightline and 20/20, in addition to NBC's Dateline and various shows on educational networks have looked for answers to many of the pillars of the Christian faith.

"In the media, they are always trying to find out what people are paying attention to or what they are talking about," Rev. Ron Singleton of Limestone Street United Methodist Church said. "In this case, a lot of what they are looking for leads back to the Bible and its message."

During religious holidays like Good Friday, Easter and Christmas, the airwaves are flooded with shows relative to Christianity - sometimes shedding light on new discoveries that prove the event's significance.

However, recently much of the material has been devoted to topics such as the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues, the debate about hell and what the Bible has to say about the world's present situation.

Although these shows rarely run across Singleton's television screen, he believes that such material is God's plan of enlightening and making an impact in people's lives rather than network television's scheme for padding ratings and making money.

"It may not be that they are trying to do it for money but for reasons such as opening their eyes to why it is so important in people's lives," Singleton said.

But some people believe that television execs use the Christian faith to satisfy their own selfish desires.

"The news always looks for a hot topic, and when they are able to capitalize on it, they will," Moses Burkett, an attendee of a local church said. "Sometimes they have money in mind, other times they don't."

Though perceived by some to be another way to make a quick dollar, Singleton said that news coverage serves its purpose- to inform, educate and for a lot of the viewers, change their lives.

"The media is always looking for an angle and once they find it they go after it," Singleton said. "But whether one agrees with it or not, it is great for the media as well as those watching to open their eyes and not feel like they are being encroached upon. Once people become interested, they want to know more and that will help them change for the better."