Media Matters

Many people who know me as an author and women's ministry speaker are often curious about why I have started a film company. They seem to assume there is a split focus there. Perhaps there is, but because I see media in a more holistic way, one of the reasons I started Citygate Films was to influence the diet, so to speak, of what is being consumed in mainstream media. I also have a heavy concern that the "screen generation" is being fed more harmful images and narratives than uplifting ones.

For example, this is how my day has gone so far. I checked the news, and saw stories about a 15-year-old girl who was brutally gang-raped by by anywhere between 7 to 10 men outside of a high school while at least a dozen others stood by and watched it without interfering, and a sadist who allegedly raped, murdered, and stowed the bodies of at least 10 women in his home. Those are just the stories in CNN's headlines--the tip of the iceberg nationally. At the same time, there are numerous local stories about child sex abuse and murder that didn't even make the national news.

Next, I checked my Twitter feed, which carried news of many non-profit organizations (Christian and mainstream) that are working to improve the conditions of women and girls around the world. High on their list of concerns is sex trafficking and enslaved prostitutes.

I then started work by listening to a media panel about "transmedia" efforts--telling a single story across a variety of media platforms. One of the panelists spoke without shame of working with a clothing company that sponsored an interactive game about a stripper. The gamer controls the stripper's actions, which this media expert cheerfully said allowed the player to either make the stripper engage "in the most depraved actions" or "save her." It's an odd sponsorship, given the fact that the sponsor's clothes aren't seen very often. (The clothing company wasn't mentioned in this panel, but I wish it had been so that I would not patronize their stores or product.)

Listening to this panel, I wanted to scream: Why can't we connect the dots here? Why is it that as a culture in the developing world, we put our heads in the sand and vociferously protest there is no connection between the media we consume and our actions? Yet, other studies show that when television is introduced to new areas of developing nations, there is a measurable change in behavior. Do we think we are somehow immune to the effect of media in our own nation? Do we think we can allow people the fantasy of degrading and brutalizing others (especially women) and argue that this thought life will not eventually affect behavior?!

What can we do to change this thinking? I want to encourage each of you to become media activists. Please protest media that undermines the safety and dignity of women and girls, in particular, through social media and your wallets. Teach your children to understand that what they feast their eyes upon will become normalized to them. Let retail vendors know of your displeasure. And please support media that challenges these denigrating, dehumanizing trends by producing edifying content. I'm not arguing for cheesy, unsophisticated content in the name of being positive, but well-produced content that elevates human dignity.

That's what I'm trying to do through Citygate Films. I have three documentaries in various stages of production, with one nearly finished with principal photography. A NOTE OF HOPE explores the idea that music reveals a lot about a culture. I'll never forget what one of the African-American musicians in this film said after touring the Cape Coast slave castle in Ghana: If only our young adults could understand that they are descendants of those who survived these brutal dungeons, they wouldn't accept prison as a normal passage of life. One of the earliest song forms in America was the traditional Negro spiritual, songs that spoke of faith and trust in a just God who would redeem such harsh circumstances for His own glory. Those songs eventually became the code for the Underground Railroad and eventually the soundtrack for the civil rights movement. But now we have songs that celebrate thug culture and sexist, demeaning views of women. The jazz musicians who participated in this film want to see music used to elevate humanity, not celebrate our darkest drives. And their commitment to use their music to do so is the theme of this documentary. 

P.S. I'd appreciate your prayers as I continue working on this documentary. And if you are so inclined, I'd also appreciate your financial support. You can make a contribution to this film and in return, receive perks ranging from a special thanks credit in the movie, a copy of the finished film and soundtrack, to an invitation to the film's premiere with the cast and crew. Thanks for your consideration and for spreading the word about A NOTE OF HOPE!

(Photo: Filming at the Cape Coast Castle. The entrance to the male dungeon is at the far left. The female dungeon was behind me as I took this photo. Up to 1000 people were kept for months in each dungeon in darkness and human waste, with little food, until the survivors were shipped out to the U.S. slave markets.)

Comments

[Sandra]

HI Caroline, I have to agree with you that what is being seen on the small or big screen these days is just plain scary. I have many a times wanted to relax with a good film or storie and find it hard to find anything that have a worthwile message. After all I don't want to waste an hour or two on some senseless love story that tells you all about how it's okay to sleep with your boyfriend or some action movie that kills everybody in sight. Thank you for the work you do, we need more people that are willing to make films with a message. I can't wait for your films to be completed at least this will be one time I wouldn't mind spending an hour or two to watch it!

[Homemaker, MD]

Your path is a hard one and you have my prayers! I completely agree with your concerns about the promotion of violence against women done by the current culture of the media. So many women and children have been hurt, and how many less if we didn't invite strangers on TV into our homes to influence our families and blunt our sensitivities toward violence?

[Michele Szekely]

Very good article! I liked it so much that I posted it on my facebook account, I starting by saying that if we are hit daily with news (and ads and shows) that are dwelling to great length on violence and porn, we better be aware of the consequences, it’s an addictive and co-dependant cycle, violence begets violence, porn begets porn. But Carolyn McCulley says: “Become media activists! Teach your children to understand that what they feast their eyes upon will become normalized to them" Thank you, Carolyn. Good job.

[tea]

Hello
This is a perfect article about Media matters.You have given really nice information.You are absolutely right that we all should become media activists.Thank you very much for sharing this post with us.

[Shelly]

Hi Caroline, I was just wondering which NGOs you follow on Twitter. I'd like to get updates too.