News an important part of Christian radio
Why don’t more Christian radio stations have news departments?
At Cornerstone University Radio, news is an important part of everything we do. Our two local radio stations have a news department (even though the CHR station’s news isn’t really considered a department — they use the news anchors from our sister AC station). However, our AC station is committed to news and has two full-time people devoted to it.
Church seems to be the most frequent place where I hear how liberally slanted the news is around the United States and perhaps the world. But, we shouldn’t be surprised. Christian colleges and universities are putting very little emphasis on journalism, especially radio and television journalism. And, I think there’s a reason for that.
The reason may be that there aren’t very many Christian radio and television stations that have news departments. Thus, if there’s no demand, there’s no training. If there’s no training, how will Christians radio or tv have ANY impact on presenting the news from a Christian world view?
If a Christian wants to get trained in electronic journalism most attend liberal state universities where they’re taught how to be a liberal journalist. I know what you’re thinking — “If they’re Christians, they can’t help but have a Christian world view.”
If that’s the case why are today’s Christian young people becoming more and more post-modern in their thinking?
I have another question: If Christians aren’t aware of what’s happening in their world, how can they possibly think they can be relevant in their culture? If most Christians are getting most of their news for liberal sources — sources with a post-modern world view — how can we expect them have to a Christian world view and have the tools they need to make an eternal difference in the lives of people physically and spirtually?
Most radio stations do have some news and information. Most have national news services that help give their listeners a glimpse at the world, which is great. But, what about what’s happening in ‘your neck of the woods?’ Are you relying on non-believers to provide news and information that affects your listeners families? Issues like your local school board pushing homosexuality as ‘just another option’ in their sex education classes. Or, the city commission wanting to get rid of the Christmas display at the art museum.
Perhaps this is something Christian radio and TV professionals need to begin thinking about. Maybe radio stations should be thinking about hiring a co-host with a journalism background for morning or afternoon drive? Maybe the next TV hire is someone who can develop relationships with your congressman, mayor, sheriff, school board chair, or city commission chair. Or, maybe you could set aside a portion of your Sharathon contributions to fund a full-time news person?
Whatever you do, I think it’s important to provide a news product that has a Christian world-view and not leave it up to secular stations, who could care less.
My two cents….what do you think?
January 24, 2008 at 2:26 pm
I am a grad student and I am working on an idea to do a thesis about Christian radio. I am 44 and I have worked in Christian radio before as well as commercial radio. My thesis may be about how many people actually listen to AM and sun up to sundown AM Christian radio stations. I have the suspicion that the only people that benefit from sun up to sun down Christian AM stations are the owners/operators and employees of those companies. I hope my research proves me wrong but there is so much evidence that people are not even listening to FM radio like they used to that AM radio is a dying thing, with AM Christian radio sinking even faster than the rest of the AM formats. There seems to be a conccensus that AM is only for talk radio these days and this further isolates people from the fact that Christian radio alternatives do exist. Where could I find proof that listeners still tune in to Christian radio stations on the AM dial. I know arbitron does surveys but Christian stations may not have an account with any ratings service so they don’t get a copy of the ratings in most cases. I welcome any and all responses to this question,”Are there enough listeners to AM Chrsitian radio stations that it benefits churches to continue to pay for broadcasts, or would these churches reach more people in other ways, such as going on mission trips or feeding the local poor people in their respective areas?”