Matt Pinto, founder and president of Ascension Press and co-founder of Envoy magazine and CatholicExchange.com, thinks that the Church could do more in the media, given the large numbers of the faithful. Here the author of Do Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons? and other Catholic books answers the question: What is the state of Catholic publishing today?
Small Successes Are Just Not Enough
Pinto: Catholic print and Internet publishers, as well as broadcast producers, are having some small successes, but far less than we should have at this point in Christian history.
It is true that in the recent years tens of thousands of Catholics have come to a stronger faith due to the growth of apologetics literature, and thousands have come back to the faith. This, of course, is a beautiful thing — but these numbers are still very small when you consider the size of the Catholic population in the Western societies, let alone the size of the secular population, which needs to be evangelized as well.
I do sense, however, that things are changing for the better. In the last five years, for example, Catholic publishers have become clever in their title selections, marketing and book packaging.
We are also now starting to place our books and products in the major secular chains, which is vitally important because this is where most of the population — Catholic and non-Catholic — search for their reading material. We are starting to think outside of the box, reaching beyond “the choir.” These efforts will yield great fruit.
In addition, it has been nearly four decades since Vatican II, but lay Catholic communicators are just now becoming comfortable with the techniques and strategies employed by secular communication professionals.
I love Pope John Paul II's words given on World Communications Day in the year 2000. He said, “Catholic communicators must be bold and creative in developing new media and methods of proclamation.” There were times in the past when the Church led the way in supporting or even developing new technologies. Religious and laity alike were bold and creative. We have lost much of this spirit in the recent years.
Despite our limited successes thus far, I do believe we are getting close to pulling off some major evangelization efforts using the various means of social communications.
For example, we are now making some Catholic-based movies in Hollywood, a new apostolate called the New Evangelization of the Americas — NEA — is doing great work, and the Church now has a prominent television show hosted by Father Alberto Cutié on secular television. For these reasons and others, I sense that something on a grand scale is in our near future.
Q: What are the strongest points of Catholic publishing?
Pinto: Catholic publishing's strongest point is that its “product” — eternal truth — speaks to the heart of man. Deep down, every person in the world desires the Catholic message, although most may not know it.
As Catholic communicators, we need to present this truth in its fullness, but also in clever and well-packaged ways. We are attempting to reach the TV generation and a community of people who are saturated with information. Therefore, we need to learn how to use the media in a way that is familiar to a modern individual's experience.
In addition, a well-trained Catholic writer or knowledgeable Catholic publisher understands the value and necessity of inculturation. We need to see what is good and true in a particular culture, and then embrace and use these truths for the sake of the Gospel.
With every new generation comes a new culture. The Catholic Church is at its best when it transmits the timeless truths it has received from our Savior to the culture in a manner in which it will be well accepted. This does not mean, of course, that the truth ever changes. It does not. The truth is, however, presented differently from one age to the next.
No Business Like Show Business
Q: What are some of the weaknesses?
Pinto: The first is a subconscious fear that many Catholics have toward using modern means of communication and secular marketing techniques.
We sometimes think that secular marketing and advertising are somehow “dirty” — that we are caving in to the culture, or that these methods are not good enough for the Gospel. I could not more strongly disagree. If people can use the latest in advertising to promote something as basic as Amway, we can surely use these same skills to promote something as important as Yahweh.
This suspicion about whether we should use modern media seriously limits our ability to share the Gospel with a world in desperate need. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council in Inter Mirifica said: “The Church recognizes that the media, if properly utilized, can be of great service to mankind, since they greatly contribute to men's entertainment and instruction as well as spread and support of the kingdom of God.”
In addition, there are those who work for the Church who lack the necessary skills for mass communication. This is why new trade associations like the Catholic Marketing Network, based in the United States, and writing workshops — like the one held in January at Thomas Aquinas College in California — are so vital.
We need to learn how to get articles imbued with wholesome values published in secular newspapers. We need to learn better advertising skills. We need to learn how to write good movie scripts, to offer ideas that get the attention of Hollywood producers.
Lastly, we need to learn how to be relevant without compromising the truths of the faith. We must trust that if we present Catholic teaching in its fullness — yet with love and in a way that the current age can understand — it will be compelling and attractive.
Q: In general, have Catholics found their sea legs in the media? Or are there still gaps?
Pinto: Despite the almost miraculous effort of EWTN — started 20 years ago by cloistered nuns and now one of the largest TV networks in the world — full-time Catholic communicators proclaiming the Gospel are well behind those of the secular world.
In many ways, we are barely in the race. We have virtually no influence on the secular media. Our books rarely get reviewed in regional newspapers, let alone by the national press. We have only a handful of radio stations compared to the Protestant and secular world.
We need to learn so much — from things as basic as creating good press kits to as grand as producing world-class movies.
Again, we are now making strides. It will be very interesting to see how the media powers respond to Mel Gibson's forthcoming movie, Passion, which is being produced on a grand scale. It is very possible that this may start a small renaissance. There is also a new organization called Act One, which is helping Christians improve their skills in order to meet and exceed movie industry standards.
In radio, we have seen the recent resurgence of groups like Starboard Broadcasting, Ave Maria Radio, and WEWN, but we still have far to go. For example, we need to create TV shows that have the same appeal as those on MTV.
We need to produce books imbued with Catholic values that make the best-seller lists. We need to support our Catholic newspapers so they can support themselves and, in return, support our faith. We need to find not one new Fulton Sheen, but 10.
Get Attention, Tell Your Story, and Pray like Crazy
Q: Logic, depth and simple modesty often seem in short supply in the secularized media — note the rise of celebrity news, the racy weekly news magazines, the thin debates over life issues such as human cloning, etc. What can the Church contribute at this moment?
Pinto: The lack of substance in much of our media is a real problem. Our media entertains at the expense of really informing us.
I just read a recent transcript from a popular American talk show. The subject was “teen chastity” and the show had several guests who represented solid Christian and natural law positions. However, the broadcast forum itself was not conducive to serious debate. It was a three-ring circus. Each participant could barely make a point without being interrupted. Yet, we still needed to be present on that show. We had to offer some virtuous message in spite of the shortcomings of the forum.
The Church needs to learn to play in the secular ball field because these media forums are not going to change anytime soon. Jesus spoke in parables, a common teaching method of his era. We need to speak in the method of our era, such as speaking in sound bites for those media that require it.
Is this the ideal? No. Is it necessary in this day and age? I believe it is. We also need to understand that many people make decisions based solely on sentimentality. Therefore, whether we like it or not, we need to learn how to tell our true stories in a way that appeals to the heart, not just the head.
Q: What is the biggest growth market for Catholic literature?
Pinto: We need better catechetical materials — resources that feature both a clear presentation of doctrine as well as a good pedagogy. We also need more “life application” books, which make the faith relevant to a person's everyday life.
In addition, we must place a greater emphasis on producing literature that is faithful to the Catholic tradition. Theological fads come and go — they may indeed tickle our ears for short periods of time — but it is only dynamically orthodox materials that will ultimately lead people to the level of conversion needed to survive and thrive in this challenging age. The future Church is one that is orthodox in its content, charitable in its presentation, and dynamic in its application.
Q: What three things would you recommend to young, aspiring Catholic writers?
Pinto: First, look at what people need, not simply at what you want to say. People get inspired when you strike a chord in their heart. They respond when you speak to them, not at them. Also, tell stories. People like stories. They can relate to them.
Second, fill your writing with a strong sense of hope. Christ has won the battle. Even though it is comprised of sinners, the Church is the Bride of Christ that will speak and teach with vigor and faithfulness until the end of time. The fullness of truth subsists in the Catholic Church. Founded and guided by Christ, the Church is the only hope for the world. Therefore, we Catholics should be people filled with hope.
Finally, one must continually pray for wisdom, holiness and purity of heart. We should also ask God to use us in a powerful way to advance his work here on earth. Prayer is the fuel that will sustain you.
We must go into battle spiritually prepared. In other words, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit. If we are so filled, the life of the Spirit will burst through the darkness and shine a light that will attract many to the Source of Life itself.
This interview was orginally published by ZENIT and is used by permission.
