The Catholic Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. Michael Neary, has accused the media of “groupthink,” stating that they often “distort” their coverage “to deprive us of our critical faculties.”
Speaking during a homily at a Mass in Westport on Saturday last week, the cleric had a strongly-worded message for Ireland’s press.
“The great organs of news and information in society are, it seems, being managed to serve distorted and sometimes questionable ends, which are calculated to deprive us of our critical faculties,” he said.
“Forces are endeavouring to reshape our values, fears and dreams in ways that are quite literally opposed to the joy of the Gospel.”
He went on to accuse the media of sensationalism when it came to the way that religion is covered by the news.
“In a competitive world, the media will tend to focus on the dramatic or even sensational as extreme positions vie with each other,” he said.
“Consensus and collaboration are frequently overlooked. This has an impact on the way in which religion is presented.
“Of its very nature, religion is intended to bind people together and to God, rather than to divide and conquer. Religion as a countercultural force has today become marginalised.”
He said that it had “become standard today to adopt and embrace a form of group-think which allows some to believe they can determine our outlook and reactions to various situations and realities, and not least, our attitude to religion and matters of faith and morals.
“While the sins and shortcomings of people of faith have been legitimately highlighted, and the wrongs of the church have been justly exposed, it is convenient to be dismissive of the church and faith in a rather uninformed and prejudicial manner. For people to whom faith is important and who have a great love for and appreciation of the church – in spite of its shortcomings – this is a very challenging time.”