PR - what's a church to do?
Church in a spin. Catchy ‘eh, but so far not much about spin, I hear you (both) say. So here are some questions and I need the answers asap. I was asked to come up with a practical theology session for church communication officers to get their teeth into at a meeting next Thursday (27th) in London. So I came up with the following questions (for one section of a much more detailed plan I hasten to add):Should the church be involved in spin? –Ethical issues for Christians using the tools of PR
- Devising ‘media friendly’ events. Is there a danger of hijacking God’s priorities or riding roughshod over prayerful, quiet witness, for the sake of getting the church in the local paper?
- An advertising campaign for the church. Is there a danger of using inappropriate tools which give the wrong impression – the ‘media is the message’?
- Emphasising the positive and hiding the negative. We all do it but is it ethical?
- The cult of celebrity. Is there a danger in using ‘personalities’ (or even purple shirts with no personality)- to get better coverage?
- Which tools of PR can be tools for God- and which can be ‘tools of the devil’?!
By way of practical examples of PR which could backfire we might discuss David Mellor with his family eating beef burgers, George W Bush landing on an aircraft carrier, or my own Sheep at Ripon Cathedral debacle, which made it onto Have I got News for You. But how about closer to now and the pro’s and con’s of the PR efforts being currently made by Winchester Cathedral - as reported in yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph:
Bishop accused of cashing in on the 'Da Vinci heresy'
“ …. The Da Vinci Code has now found sanctuary - glorification even - within the walls of one of England's oldest Anglican cathedrals and today Winchester Cathedral will shun the controversy surrounding the novel and begin a three-month programme of events taking advantage of its huge commercial success. Cracking The Code, The Holy Mystery Beyond The Da Vinci Code will utilise cathedral premises and draw upon the talents of some of the diocese's leading figures, including the Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, the Bishop of Winchester. …… One leaflet states: "Visit Winchester Cathedra
l's Summer exhibition to discover more about Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, part of which was filmed in the cathedral, and about the holy mystery beyond this story for our time. "We want to offer the opportunity to make your own mind up on The Da Vinci Code, to learn about some of the mistakes in the novel as well as some of the Church's actions down the ages, and to understand more about the great spiritual mystery lying at the heart of Christian belief."
The cathedral, which is using some of the £20,000 earned from the film to pay for the exhibition, hopes to attract tens of thousands of visitors who would not normally enter a church. Visitors who pay the standard £4 admission fee will be able to enjoy a special exhibition, in addition to a selection of themed tours, one of which will highlight symbols and treasures in the cathedral that also appear in the book. The cathedral has also organised a special Da Vinci Code treasure hunt for children.”
It’s either brilliant or brilliantly flawed! Maybe we'll need to wait for the film. Answers on a postcard please.
posted by John Carter @ 5:20 pm
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