The
Catholic Church in Korea has a comprehensive presence in newspapers,
radio, television, the Internet and social networking. You will find it
difficult to find any diocese that operates three communication media:
newspaper, radio, and television.
They
are a medium for the whole Korean Church but the responsibility of the
Seoul Diocese. This year they celebrated their 29th anniversary. A staff
member of the Broadcasting System introduces the readers to the aims of
the diocese in social communication.
In
the pastoral instruction on the means of social communication, Communio
Et Progressio # 125 we have these words: "The means of social
communication help Catholics in three ways. They help the Church reveal
herself to the modern world.They foster dialogue within the Church. They
make clear to the Church contemporary opinions and attitudes. For the
Church has been ordered by God to give men the message of salvation in a
language they can understand and concern herself with the concerns of
man."
The
Vatican Council for Social and Public Relations presented five tasks
for the social communication media. First, the media serving people and
culture. Second, media serving the world. Third, serving the development
of the human community. Fourth, media serving church unity and lastly
serving the new evangelization.
The
communication medium needs to respect and maximize their unique
functions. The means must be selected appropriately.There are a variety
of means but the most effective means need to be used. You use a hammer
to put a nail in a wall and not a screwdriver. Also, the nail has to be a
proper nail.When the proper tools are not used we will not have the
results expected.
In
conclusion, he looks over his own relationship with the work in
communication for almost the same length of time as the newspaper and
broadcasting system itself and admits that he is embarrassed in not
having always used the proper tools to convey the message over the past nearly
thirty years.