Media consultant and former anchor with the United States-based Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), Dr. Victor Oladokun, has urged Christians to explore fully the immense opportunities in the media industry to not only project activities of the Church but also express their creative potential.
Dr. Oladokun, who was speaking on “Media as a Catalyst for Shaping Society’s Perception” at the 2015 edition of the Daystar Christian Centre leadership conference in Lagos, went down memory lane tracing various efforts at developing effective means of communication among humans, beginning with the Sumarian clay tablet in 3,500 years ago, to the Egyptian Papyrus in 3,000 BC down to 675 AD with the painted glass windows which had drawings through which stories of the past were told and passed down.
And in 1040 AD, the Chinese came up with their printing block, before the advent of the printing press in 1455 AD by Guttenberg, the typewriter in 1860, telephone in 1876, cinema, 1893, radio 1895, television 19, and personal computers in 1970s.
It is instructive to note, according to the media expert, that at the centre of this historical search for a communication tool is the creator, God. He anointed Bezaleel to design the tabernacle and all its furniture to communicate certain spiritual truth to God’s people. His words: “God has never been absent in the business of media.”
For the CEO of 3D Global Consult, Christians must come to terms with the shifts taking place in today’s media world and take advantage of them, particularly in the various spheres in which he identified the media as a catalyst – God, Government, Gold (economy), and the Good of the society.
He said: “If you look at the history of the media, you will see that the Church and Christians have always been involved in the process….It’s like pastoring, the media is also a call. If you feel called to it, you will do it.”
As he pointed out, media can be used to glorify God and for great good, as much as it can be used for great evil when it is in the wrong hand.
But beyond venturing into media as a calling, Dr. Oladokun emphasised that it is in the best interest of every Christian, irrespective of their professional calling, to locate themselves in the media space.
He explained that the media, encompassing television, online, radio, print, presents tremendous opportunity for the Church but he criticised most Christian programmes on television, describing them as “so boring”.
He asked: “As a church, why can’t we have an animation programme? There are talented young people in your church. Why can’t we have a youth programme where you train these guys and help them finance and put together a programme in your church’s name but using these young individuals to articulate issues that affect them?”
Dr. Oladokun advised Christians in the media to have at the back of their mind that they are there to entertain, inform or communicate, educate, and inspire. And to successfully do this, there are factors that must be taken into account – the credibility of the messenger, the logic of what is being said, the relevance of what is being said to the audience and the creativity involved in the process.