Religious
Broadcast: A study of the impact on children
with a special
reference to Christian programmes
Dr. S. Nandakumar, Associate
Professor
Dept of Journalism and Mass
Communications
Periyar University
Salem, Tamil Nadu, India.
E-mail: nandakumar.su@gmail.com
A. Christopher Joseph Cruz,
Research Scholar
Dept of Journalism and Mass
Communications
Periyar University
Salem, Tamil Nadu, India.
E-mail: a_xtopher@yahoo.co.in
Abstract:
Television has been a subject of discussion ever since
it was introduced in 1959 in India as an experimental service. In present media
scenario, 24×7 hours private satellite and cable channels are mushrooming
everyday as informational, educational (news and current affairs) and
entertainment (cinema, music, lifestyles) channels. Among these escalations in recent days, exclusive
religious channels have also emerged in India; a multi-religious country. The
contents of channels, portrayals of lifestyles and cultures that are foreign to
the local culture demanded their influences.
In India, television became a significant form of
social communication and that brings a major influence in the lives of
children. There are numbers of studies that have come out on the influences and
impacts created by commercial TV shows and entertainment TV channels on
children. There are complaints of parents that they are unable to control what
their children watch or how much they watch (Sunderaj Victor: 2006). Today
‘Religious Television’ is at a crossroad in its development in India. In a
diverse religiosity country like India, it does not have many studies on the
impact of religious TV programmes.
The present paper
analyses the social, moral, religious and cultural changes among children who
watch religious TV programmes. The study paper is administered with a survey
method using questionnaires for children and parents separately with an
application of ‘uses and gratifications’ theory. The results show that the
religious contents for kids provide different kinds of gratifications to
different types of viewers based on their diverse living situations.
Keywords: Religious TV, Kids shows, children, motives,
behaviour
I. INTRODUCTION
In India, Television was introduced in 1959 as an
experimental service. Since then it has been a subject of discussion. In
present media scenario, 24×7 hours private satellite and cable channels are
mushrooming everyday as informational, educational (news and current affairs)
and entertainment (cinema, music, lifestyles) channels.
Children are one of the main target audiences for TV
channel’s operators. Children’s television is as old as television itself. TV
plays a very big role in the lives of children. Many research studies have been
conducted on ‘Children and Television’ focused to how TV affects sleep,
weight, grades, behaviour, TV watching habits of the children and more. However, most of the study’s results show the
negative impact of television on children and proved that children were ruined
by those commercial TVs and they were easy prey most of the time. The
influences and impacts created by commercial TV shows and entertainment TV
channels on children are unable to be controlled by parents what their children
watch or how much they watch (Sunderaj Victor: 2006). Some studies have also
revealed a few positive sides of Television programmes, like television viewing
contributes to socialization (Margaret O’Connor Lears: 1992). The contents of channels, portrayals of
lifestyles and cultures that are foreign to the local culture demanded their
influences. Most of the time, the contents of commercial TV channels are, not
relevant to children.
Among the escalations of new satellite and cable
channels, over the decade period, there is a new development in the
broadcasting arena, i.e., religious broadcasting. Today exclusive religious
channels have also emerged in a multi-religious country India. ‘Religious Television’ is at a crossroad in its
development. The religious
broadcasting has moved from the margins of social and religious life to centre
stage. Till 1990s, the religious
programmes were usually shared the general time slot of television channels.
Also, foreign television channels were not available before the proliferation
of transnational channels in India. But those channels are now easily available
and accessible in India, after the Supreme Court verdict on transnational
channels in mid 1990. In a multi-religious society like India, religious
television channels are mushrooming
in every regional languages
of the country. Religious programmes/news getting prominence in the programme
schedule’s of Indian television channels. Government controlled Indian Public
Broadcasting has allotted separate time slots for religious programmes. Even
the news channels today cover all the religious festivals around India prominently.
According to 4th
Kingdom Media Conference held in New Delhi in Sep 2013, there are more than 100
religious channels (both satellite and cable) available in India (unpublished
source). Among those channels more than 70% of the channels are Christian
channels (4th Kingdom Media Conference, New Delhi, Sep 2013). According to Ashvin Dev Dhyriam, the CEO of
Good News Channel, the spiritual content is needed for viewers from dedicated
religious television channels. There is a deep spiritual urge in every human
being in a mechanised lifestyle of Indians. The religious channels are catering
to their needs. Therefore no commercialism is embraced in religious channels.
None of the religious channels have commercial contents like violence and sex.
Therefore they are designed in such a way that they do not affect anyone
negatively in any form. It raises some curiosity to study this aspect.
The religious channels have
allotted a separate time for children programmes. They have adopted the style
of some commercial TVs and children’s TVs and are screening their contents with
religious flavour. The children’s programmes are in different forms like
cartoon, rhymes, storytelling, dance, skit, music, quiz, puppet shows, talk
shows, creative zone, fancy dress competition etc. In India many parents now
wish their children to watch those programmes that are given by religious
channels than commercial channels.
The common understanding is that any programmes which
have a clear message to improve a human being - improve them religiously,
ethically and socially and push them towards being productive, effective and
ambitious. This general statement pushes
the researcher to test it with regard to the religious programmes for children
that are being telecasted in India.
The study is analysing
to divulge the various gratifications that are perceived by the children from
those religious channels and their programmes that are designed specifically
for the kids.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Though many articles and
books have been referred to for this research paper, the researcher reviewed a
few selected articles and books that were in line with this present study.
Heather L. Kirkorian, Ellen A. Wartella, and Danial R.
Anderson (2008) reveal that the parents and the programme producers of TV
channels should take steps to maximize the positive effects of media and
minimize the negative effects.
Joseph Turow (1985) seeking the opinions of the
experts on the effects of television on children. The result indicated a
disparity exists between published empirical reports and the personal beliefs
held by scholars.
Peter Horsfield (1984) provides basic insights on
religious broadcasting and its effects on the audiences. There were a number of
initial struggles in the 1960s and 1970s for religious broadcasting; but they
were overcome because of the growth in the number of audiences. The chapter
explains that the growth in the number of audiences is because of quality
production and of positive impacts on the audiences. On the whole, religious
television was accepted by audiences because of its goodness.
Abelman, (1987), points out in Why do People Watch Religious, TV?
A Uses and Gratification Approach that cable television has expanded
beyond the initial few channels to a plethora of channels – hundreds of them.
Ableman applied uses and gratifications approach found different patterns of
viewing motives and suggested a new motive of reactionary television use other
than ritualized and instrumental television use.
Robert A. White (1997) in
his article Religion and Media in the Construction of Cultures in the
book Rethinking Media, Religion and Culture compiled by Stewart M.
Hoover & Knut Lund by arrives at a firm conclusion that both media studies
and religious studies are coming together to create a new understanding of the
media as a cultural negotiation.
Research study by The Barna
Group Ltd from Ventura, CA, USA (2002) conducted a nationwide telephonic survey Christian Mass Media Reach More Adults with the
Christian Message Than Do Churches among 1007 adults. A greater
number of adults experience the religious faith through religious media, such
as radio, television or books, than attend churches or temples or mosques.
Bobby C. Alexander (1997)
opined that Televangelism, as ritual, has the capacity and potential to
contribute to the efforts of viewers to overturn their marginalized or
peripheral social standing within American Society.
Alf Linderman (1997) point
out that the audience constructing meaning out of religious television not only
shows how this type of television works in the minds of different audience
categories as they “make sense” of these programmes, but also reveals how
general qualities are ascribed to this medium by various viewers.
Ursula Lindsey (2006) reveals that a talk show on a
new Islamic satellite channel Al Risala by a famous Egyptian actress Sabreen,
at Cairo, Egypt has created a religious revolution among Muslims. Thousands of
viewers sent messages through their mobile phones saying the programme brought
positive changes in their lives; ethically and socially.
III. METHODOLOGY
The study was administered
using quantitative survey with stratified random sampling technique method followed
by simple random sampling method. First stratified sampling method was used for
choosing different group of people based on their shared attributes or
characteristics. It is to ensure that all types of population are represented
in the sample in order to increase the efficiency (Research Methodology:
Methods and Techniques by C.R.Kothari). Therefore I split the population into
strata, i.e. by few sections relevant to the research interest. After that a
simple random sampling method was used to distribute the questionnaires to the
children and parents.
The self administered questionnaire
was constructed for both parents and children. The questionnaire contains independent
(sex, age, educational qualification etc) and dependent variables such as viewing
pattern, viewing motives, religious TV
programmes substitute to the real church services, social impact etc.
In Chennai, 30
questionnaires for children and 30 questionnaires for parents were distributed
in each parish. In five different parishes (Christian communities) 150
questionnaires for children and 150 questionnaires for parents were randomly distributed;
in which 135 responses from the children and 65 responses from parents were
received. Using stratified random technique five parishes were
chosen based on the peoples life style and living situation in and around the
city of Chennai. One
parish was absolutely a village parish with financially very poor children.
Though they lived in the city, they were not fully exposed to the modern trends
of the city life. The other parish community had middle and upper middle class
families who followed a traditional life style. Another parish had Anglo-Indian
families who had a different life style altogether. Another parish was full of
trendy and very ultra modern families who were totally influenced by western
culture. The next one was a mixed community.
The 30 questionnaires in
each parish were randomly distributed to children in the age group of 5 to 15 and
another 30 questionnaires were handed over to parents. The paper also used both
primary and secondary sources. The research
also took the form of semi structured interviews with some media personals,
religious leaders and with the producers of some religious TV programmes. The data was analysed
statistically using SPSS.
Random Sampling method was
chosen to give a better cross-section of the population so as to gain a higher
degree of relative precision.
IV. DATA ANALYSIS AND
PRESENTATION
Among the 135 respondents
of children, 65 were male and 70 female which constitutes 48.1% and 51.9%
respectively.
Table: 1
|
Gender
|
|
|
|
Frequency
|
Percent
|
Valid
Percent
|
Cumulative
Percent
|
|
Valid
|
Male
|
65
|
48.1
|
48.1
|
48.1
|
|
Female
|
70
|
51.9
|
51.9
|
100.0
|
|
Total
|
135
|
100.0
|
100.0
|
|
They were categorized into
two groups by education: elementary school (5-10 yrs) and high school (11-15
yrs). 22.2% were elementary school children and 77.8% were high school
children.
Table: 2
|
Age
|
|
|
|
Frequency
|
Percent
|
Valid
Percent
|
Cumulative
Percent
|
|
Valid
|
5 - 10 years
|
30
|
22.2
|
22.2
|
22.2
|
|
11 - 15 years
|
105
|
77.8
|
77.8
|
100.0
|
|
Total
|
135
|
100.0
|
100.0
|
|
A. Viewing
Pattern and Motives
(a) Viewing pattern: one third of (36.3%) total
respondents were regularly watching religious programmes either in religious
television channels or in general commercial television channels and Two thirds
(63.7%) of total respondents watch religious programmes occasionally.
69.6% of the respondents
watching religious programmes on television channels because they liked the
content of the programme. 30.4% respondents watching religious programmes out
of compulsion from their parents, other family members and teachers etc.
80.7% of the respondents spent
more than one hour on religious programmes on weekdays and 74.1% on weekends. 48.1%
watching religious programmes with their parents, 20% with the whole family, 14.1%
watched alone, 10.4% with their grandparents, 7.4% with friends.
The data has clear evidence
that the religious contents on TV are liked by the children. This is once again
proved in the research by how much time they viewed those programmes. Most children,
an average of 80.7%, watched them approximately a little more than one hour on
weekdays and 74.1% on weekends. An average of one hour they spend to watch
religious programmes. Ms. Jency, one of the programme producers of Madha TV
opined that children spending one hour towards watching religious programme is noteworthy. When they are watching religious programmes along with
their parents or other family members they are getting knowledge of religious
value system. This helps them to perceive the message in a right way. This
statement corresponds with the statement of Dimitri A. Christakis, a professor of
pediatrics, in an article ‘TV Can Improve Kids’ Behavior, Study Finds’ written by Samir
Vermani.
(b) Types of Programme: 43% of the children liked
religious music programmes and 31.1% liked selected kids programmes, little
percentage (9.6%) of children like preaching, bible class (cognitive
programmes) etc. The next interesting factor to be noted is the type of
programme they like. Though there are numerous varieties of programmes
telecasted, this research showed that they liked religious songs (music) and
all sorts of kids’ programmes like cartoons, puppetry, rhymes, storytelling,
dance, skit, quiz, talk shows, game shows, creative zone, fancy dress
competition etc.
(c) Viewing motives: The children pointed out
their agreement with each of the 7 statements of motives for viewing religious
television programmes. This is the most important objective or section in this
study paper for the researcher. In an article namely, “The Audiences’ Uses and
Gratifications of TV Worship Services” by Thorlief Pettersson (1986), the TV
viewers were generally categorized into three dimension. They are a) Cognitive,
b) Affective, and c) Integrative. I was very curious to know in which category
these common Indian children fell into and how they were different from the
other children of western countries. According to this study most children i.e
40% fell into the category of ‘integrative’. They indicated that they were
watching to shape their moral life. 28.1% fell into the category of
‘affective’. They indicated that they were watching to shape their religious
life. They wanted to grow spiritually. Some 17% are in the category of
‘cognitive’. They were watching to improve their knowledge about their religion
and God (Ref Figure 1). They wanted to learn about various denominations of the
religion and their way of worshipping etc. Interestingly some 18.8% were not in
any of these groups. This allows us to go for further research on these types
of gratifications from the religious programmes.
Figure: 1
About
50% parents wanted their children to watch religious TV to shape or boost their
morality (Ref Figure 2). While discussing the same in a focus group with some
parents, almost all agreed to the need of teaching morality to their children
in this ultra modern world. One of the school teachers was hitting on the point
that, “Behaviour is more important than Spirituality today”. That is why they
said that they encourage or even compel their children to watch a few hours of
the religious channels and discourage watching commercial channels and their
programmes. So the most important gratification from religious TV viewing that the
parents and the children were looking for their behavioural guidance i.e. is
‘integrative’ in nature.
However,
the interviews with some of the religious programme producers indicated that
their primary motive was cognitive and affective in nature. Their productions
are designed primarily to teach first about God and their religion. For them
morality comes second. This does not mean that the producers failed in their
objective. Nevertheless the motives of the other half of the children and
parents (almost 50%) correlated with the programme producers.
The
small percentage of children who said that they were watching religious TV just
for passing time or for replacing church attendance were surprisingly from
upper middle class and higher class families. Once again this leads to further
research on this behaviour.
Figure: 2
B. Type
of impacts on children
The other objective of this paper was to find
out the various impacts created on the children by those religious channels or
religious programmes. 81.5% children
agreed that they were influenced in different ways by the religious channels.
Only 2.9% disagreed and 15.6% took a neutral stand. The contents of
most channels and the portrayals of lifestyles and cultures are foreign in
nature to the local culture. The traditional Indian culture is today fading
away and the modern western culture is invading slowly in India. This is
because of globalisation.
(a) Social impact: 78.5% of children and 63.3% of parents agreed that there were social
impacts created on children by religious TV programmes. Social impact includes
change of life style, food habit, speaking style (language, accent etc),
dressing style etc. It is very obviously seen in the worshipping place like
churches. It is hard to find the Indian traditional ‘dhothy’ worn by men during
the church attendance. Similarly the girls and women now-a-days prefer western
dresses (T-shirts, Jeans pants etc.,) than the traditional dresses like
half-saree and sarees. The survey does indicate that higher amount of social
impact is produced on the children by religious channels.
(b) Moral impact: 94.1% of children and 86.7% of parents agreed that the children were
morally influenced by the religious channels. Only 0.7% children and 1.7%
parents disagreed to this statement and 5.2% and 11.7% were neutral
respectively. This data is correlating with the data of viewing motives and the
gratifications sought by the children. This is a clear indication that the
highest quantity of moral impact is formed in the children by religious
channels.
(c) Religious impact: 92.6% of children and 85% of parents agreed that the children received
religious impact through the religious channels. This is slightly lesser than
the moral impact. However 92.6% is comparatively higher. The primary intention
of the programme producers was to impart religious influence on children and it
is gratified to a good extent. The children and parents believed that the
religious TV forms the children religiously with good faith.
The data analysis gives a very interesting result on ‘Do
these religious TV programmes substitute to the real church services? 74.1%
children felt that the religious contents on TV were absolutely a substitute
and functionally similar to the real church services. Surprisingly about 48.3%
of parents also felt the same. However 36.7% parents disagreed with this and
15% of them were neutral. (Ref Figure 3 & 4) The religious leaders and the
programme producers were interviewed on this question. Invariably everyone said
that the TV programmes are not the substitute for the real church services. The
‘Madha TV’ in fact before telecasting Holy Mass and Eucharistic adorations
shows these words ‘this is not the substitute to the real Mass offered in
churches’. In spite of that, higher percentages of children and even parents
believe that the TV programmes are substitute for the real rituals performed in
the churches. The religious leaders (priests and bishops) say that because of
this misunderstanding the attendance to the church services has significantly reduced.
Figure: 3 (Kids opinion)
Figure: 4
(Parents opinion)
V. KEY FINDINGS AND
SUGGESTIONS
A. Key
findings:
a) Indian children certainly
like to watch religious TV programmes.
b) At the same time parents
also compel them to watch the religious TV programmes.
c) The parents make sure that
their children watch religious programmes either with them or with other elders
like grandparents.
d) Children mostly like
selected kids programmes like cartoon shows, puppetry and religious music.
e) Children watch them mostly
for moral teachings and for behavioural changes in them.
f)
Children who watch them for a past time and for replacing church
attendance are mostly from upper middle class and higher class families. This
shows that the gratifications vary according to the life style of the family
and living situations.
g) Religious TV programmes do
create social, moral and religious impacts on the children. However moral
impact (integrative gratification) stands first.
h) Different gratifications
are sought by various types of children with diverse family backgrounds.
i)
Most children think that the religious TV programmes are an absolute
substitute to the real church services. Nearly 50% of the parents also believe
in the same wrong notion.
B. Suggestions:
a) Religious channels are
relatively new to India. They are still finding their own real nature. Today
they are proving that they are capable of producing their own programmes. In
this given situation, they can now promote Indian culture in their programmes
that are telecasted in India.
b) Since television easily
affects children more care should be taken in producing programme exclusively
for kids according to their likeness. Extreme importance should be given in
communicating spiritual and moral messages in their programmes; because the
children are seeking them consciously.
c) The teachings of the church
can be given in the form of cartoons, so that the children receive them easily.
d) Since the religious TV
creates influences on the children, more time for kids can be allotted on
holidays and weekends.
e) Regarding the wrong belief
of religious TV programmes substituting the real church services, though the
channels give the description by written words on their screen, audio version
of the same could be given because most children do not read on the screen.
f)
The telecast of the recorded church services like Mass can be telecasted
not at the same time of church timing.
g) While watching religious
channels it is advised that the parents sit with their children to give needed
explanations and right directions.
VI. CONCLUSION
The present study focus on the positive ‘uses and
gratifications’ that are specific to the religious television programmes and
children that are both provided and not provided by church services. This
approach in this paper proved that different gratifications are sought by various types
of children with diverse family background. This study showed that there are
more ‘instrumental viewers’ (information seeking viewers) than ‘ritualized
viewers’ (habitual viewers). The children of this age are information seeking
in nature. Whether it is commercial TV or religious TV, they need more
information for their knowledge (cognitive) and life (integrative). India is a
developing country and is known for its multi-religiosity. People are religious
by nature and they are known to be god-fearing. There is a deep spiritual urge
in every human being and the religious channels are catering to their needs.
However special care should be given to the children and to their needs
especially in terms of morality and spirituality. This study identified very
satisfied consumers of religious channels in India, and presumes an increase in
viewership to such channels. This presumption may be proved by various new
religious channels that are mushrooming everyday in India. With more viewing
alternatives the children should not be confused or attracted by erroneous or
commercial methods by the religious channels. “The common understanding is that any programme which has a clear message
to improve a human being - improves them religiously, ethically and socially
and push them towards being productive, effective and ambitious”. This
statement was tested and proved by this paper and opens the door for further
research on the type of audience basing
their family, culture and financial structure in an Indian situation to the
religious televisions.
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Carlos Valle, “Religion and the Media. Media Development,” World Association
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Good evening my spiritual brothers and sisters in
Jesus. Tonight (today), as
I look around, I see so many faces bursting with joy. Why is everyone so happy?
It is because a Child has been born for us. On this joyful (evening or day) night,
we are celebrating the day of Christmas that commemorates the coming of Baby
Jesus into this world and into our lives. Who would have ever imagined two
thousand years ago that the Lord God would have set aside His almighty power to
incarnate in human form so He could be with us, His creations that He loves so
much?
Now I would like to draw your attention towards the
crib that we have made. Hope you all have seen the crib very closely. When
we look at the crib it really brings us a kind of joy as if Jesus is indeed
born in our own place. But whenever I look at a crib, it makes me a little sad,
because one of my favourite person, who really deserves to get a place in the
crib, is not found in that crib. Can anyone guess...? He is the owner of the
stable and the manger. No one remembers him. Joseph and Mary knocked the doors
of many rich and royal people to get a place for Jesus to be born. But no one
offered a place. Probably Joseph and Mary’s outward poverty is the guardian of
this mystery. If Joseph and Mary had looked as if they were rich, people would
have made room for them in their houses or at least in the inn, because of
Mary’s condition. They would have turned out other less important guests; they
would have found a way to keep them. Since Joseph and Mary looked poor, they
neglected them. But another poor person comes forward to offer his small
cow-shed all that he had for Messiah to be born. No one knows who that person
was..! Nothing about him is recorded even in the scripture. Why..? Probably
because he was a very poor man and might be an outcast. That is why no one
minded him and no one bothered to remember him. If it were to be a king or
royal rich person offered a place in their house or palace, I am sure his name
would have been known very popularly now and even his name would have found a
place in the scripture. Whomever God chose and included in his birth, they are
neglected by the world (by us) today.
Christmas is the time to remember family, friends
and all our dear ones. We send them a card and exchange gifts and even wish
them “Happy Christmas” by hugging and shaking hands with them. But do we mind
remember the poor, needy, homeless and the so called outcast? If we don’t
include them in our Christmas celebration, I believe our celebration won’t be a
meaningful one.
Christmas is the occasion to remember and celebrate
God’s presence among us. Christmas is also the time when we must reflect about
our willingness to be present to the others. There are many opportunities to
help others who are poor, feeling down and excluded from the families and
others. These people of God need our care, concern and support. They are our
Christmas blessings. Let us include them also in our Christmas celebration. Christmas
is also a time for gifts and sharing. This is simply because God gifted us His
only son Jesus Christ. During this Christmas, it is possible to receive this
precious gift and treasure it in our hearts. 
