Christ and the Media

I do not care for television based on the moral depravity. Malcolm gave an interesting look inside the juggernaught of television media. It is even easier to see his points in todays media, as they have become even more self-serving than when he wrote this book. A very insightful read and the excerpts of his lectures were an added bonus.

This book is probably one of Malcolm's most interesting works for a couple of reasons. First, he is at the top of his game in his use of English and reason. Second, because this is the most unmitigated and focused response to liberal media I have ever read. It was so direct and harsh that66 at times I found I wasn't sure I agreed with him. However, the more I mulled over the thoughts and worked through it, the more I realized I was in agreement with his premises. Excellent and thorough, though it will seem a bit short.

Muggeridge was a modern-day prophet in that he had a clear perception and understanding of the impact of Television on Western Media. In his words, "It is a truism to say that the media in general, and TV in particular...are incomparably the greatest single influence in our society today...This influence [is] largely exerted irresponsibly, arbitrarily, and without reference to any moral or intellectual, still less spiritual, guidelines whatsoever. Furthermore, if it is the case, as I believe, that what we still call Western civilization is fast disintegrating, then the media are playing a major role in the process by carrying out, albeit for the most part unconsciously, a mighty brainwashing operation, whereby all traditional standards and values are being denigrated to the point of disappearing, leaving a moral vacuum in which the very concepts of Good and Evil have ceased to have any validity." He clearly describes the power of the editor (of TV news/documentaries especially) to present "the truth" or "reality" live, in living color, through carefully edited clips--which present the event from the perspective of the editor--telling the story the way the editor wants to present it, which may be (and often is) very different from "the truth" as seen and experienced by the various people involved in the event. Bernard Goldberg, in his book "Bias", has described several examples from CBS News, and there have been many more recently. Muggeridge's only practical solution: "Put a Christian behind the camera." I believe he meant by that, a person who is truly following Christ and therefore is aware of and sensitive to his/her own worldview; who respects the beliefs and worldviews of others; and who makes a genuine attempt to "balance" the story by providing multiple viewpoints and not promoting his/her own view at the expense of others. Clearly, not a person who fabricates "facts" to support their beliefs or theories; not someone who "spins" or twists the facts, or who ignores data that does not fit their view or agenda. A rather brief book - but I believe a powerful vision of the potential for Evil (Muggeridge's word, not mine) when TV editorializing/production is in the hands of men and women who thirst for power and who lack moral judgement. The "Greatest Generation" called it by it's proper name: Propaganda. Thanks to the publisher for re-publishing this valuable book!

Muggeridge was wise beyond his time! This book is utterly fascinating and kept me spellbound for days. He explores the many issues that modern media practices bring to our culture. A wonderful, though troubling look at life through the lens. Awesome reading!

Malcom Muggeridge is one of the funniest, most insightful and downright stubborn authors of the twentieth century. He was funny in Punch, the British humor magazine, he was funny on the BBC in "That Was the Week That Was," and even funny in a Monte Python meets real life sort of way when he got kicked off the BBC for alledgedly mocking the Queen. Of course it was all a misunderstanding, like the misunderstanding that got writer P.G.Wodehouse denounced as a traitor for making those wartime broadcasts from Germany. Malcom Muggeridge was the man who straightened that all out and got PGW repatriated, and later PG (Plum) Wodehouse was knighted as one of Britain's best. Surely there were no hard feelings toward Malcom as well.Then Muggeridge did an interview with Mother Teresa for the BBC, and made a series of TV shows called A Third Testament about St. Augustine, Pascal, Tolstoy and other figures who had influenced him. At the same time that priests and bishops in England were leaving orders and losing faith, Muggeridge was somehow finding it. That would have been forgiveable, but he remained subversively funny. The essays collected in The Most of Malcom Muggeridge and Tread Softly For You Tread On My Jokes are side-splittingly funny and rank among the best of Punch's drollery. His two volume autobiography even has a funny title: The Chronicles of Wasted Time. Christ and the Media doesn't have a funny title (which may be why it originally went out of print so soon), but it contains a funny essay called "The Fourth Temptation." In a humorous role-reversal, journalist Muggeridge is also interviewed by the BBC. His roasts of the media in his many books are so funny that his opponents had no recourse but to put his books out of print. Thanks to Regent College, their little trick didn't work, and this subversive little volume is once again at large. Get it while you can and write your own review.