Not A Good PR Move!
We in the United States of America are blessed with some serious, responsible TV networks. This obviously describes ABC, CBS and NBC. Each network has its own policies making decisions or choices in how they handle the news for editorial positions you naturally can be suspected of being prejudiced one way or another, but these networks do a rather good job in covering the various sides of issues. They do not come down too hard on one side or the other.
And then there are other “networks.” I think immediately of MSNBC and Fox News. The names of either generate laughter and guffaws among people who are interested in objective reporting. Fox News is essentially a front for the Republican Party while MSNBC is the best-known outlet for the Democrats. None of this is against the law. The owners of the networks are perfectly free to cover anything that they want and to decide what accent they will give to the stories they are presenting. But they are not objective and those searching for objectivity tend to ignore both of them!
In the meantime, the Vatican is in desperate need for better public relations. Mistake has followed mistake and embarrassing situation to embarrassing situation, misstep following misstep. When a few of the late night comedians do stories on Vatican City, you know that the central office of the Church is in disarray. Given all of that, I was very disappointed to see that the Vatican has hired the head of the Rome bureau for Fox News and that person has taken over coordination of public relations for the Vatican. I wish this new office every success. They certainly have their work cut out for them but when so many objective professionals are in the field. In my opinion, this was not a good move. I hope that I am wrong.
Themocracy
As a longtime fan, Bishop John, I hate to disagree with you on the lack of bias from the major networks. Often the disguise is more of an affront than the truth, but they are liberally biased and I no longer view any of them and rarely the other two. As a descendant of a news providing family, I fear they are all disturbed in their graves at the debacle that is now called reporting. Thank you for your daily blog. Miss you at St. Teresa’s. PS 82 IS NOT OLD!
All communication is biased. Some worse than others. We have to live with it! Some of us for many, many decades. Obviously you’re not 82!