Snapd
ragon
THE P RTAL
October 2013
Page 8
The wider audience
T
he sound
bite: It has
become standard in the fastpaced world of the media. People
working in the communications
media and public relations know
just how important it is to get across
their key points in a short, pithy and
memorable phrase and are always on
the look-out for a good one because
it is what we as readers and listeners
are after: information that is concise,
fast and easily digestible.
soundbite bites
back
Heaven”; “You don’t have to believe in God to go to
heaven.” Very quickly a Vatican spokesman issued
comments clarifying the Church’s teaching on the
matter.
Pope Francis on Homosexuality:
who am I to judge them?
On board the papal aeroplane returning to Italy
from World Youth Day in July Pope Francis spoke
with journalists about many of the hot issues facing
the Church, including homosexuality. The headlines:
“Pope Francis on Homosexuality: who am I to judge
them?” Cue (anonymous)
Vatican official, who this time
clarified: “[The Pope] is not
saying homosexual acts are
not a sin, and he obviously
isn’t
changing
Church
doctrine, but he is making a
change of emphasis.”
It is clear that Pope Francis
is very mediagenic. He
genuinely wants to reach out
to a wider audience than the
Catholic faithful and also
to shake off the Church’s
Catholic Church
outmoded and dusty image.
may fall
From the earliest days of his
‘like a house of
pontificate he has wooed
cards’
the journalists and won
And
in
September,
their admiration with his
following a lengthy interview
approachable and chatty
given by Pope Francis after six
manner, using a dozen words
months in the job, nuanceless
to say what his predecessor
headlines declared: “Pope
would communicate in a
says Church must end
hundred. But a lesson to be
learnt by anyone who is concerned with slickening up obsession with gays, contraception, abortion;” and:
their media delivery is: it is possible for a soundbite to “Pope warns Catholic Church may fall ‘like a house
of cards’ if it continues its obsession with abortion,
bite back.
gay marriage and contraception.” Another one for the
provocative and controversial
Vatican spokesman.
What Pope Francis has to say always has substance
– his punchy remarks are not empty, as so many the essential nature of the Good
soundbites tossed to a hungry media pack are – but News of Christ
there is a real potential danger that his media-friendly
One can’t really critici