Catholic Media Journal

Social Media Revolution 2

Jim Coyle — Tue, 11 May 2010 02:49:20 +0000

While many people think of Social Media as a fad, those of us involved in religious communication – evangelization – and education have a critical mission to bring the Truth to people wherever they are. We need to be out in the marketplace, the town square. Here’s where we’ll find our people:

Are we out there?

Jim Coyle

Reaching Individuals in a Social Media Age

Jim Coyle — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:24:04 +0000

As Church, we have the same problem today as the disciples did nearly 2000 years ago: How do we reach people with our Message?

This is an essential question that the Church must repeatedly ask – and answer – as her mission of evangelization continues while people and societies adopt different methods of communication and culture. It’s the question Angela Santana posed and responded to in a presentation she gave earlier this week. She makes her points very well in the slides she’s shared online, critical points for the Church in our modern age:

Reaching Individuals in a Social Media Age: A Resource for the Catholic Church

View more presentations from Angela Santana.

You can follow and interact with Angela on Twitter @inspiredangela.

Jim Coyle

The Lesson from a Communicator

Jim Coyle — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:19:02 +0000

This is an amazing video by Francis Gardler, a graduate student at Ohio University, which is meaningful on many levels, for all of us involved in communications and education. More than other media sources, the Church has the call and responsibility to share the human condition and respond to the very real needs in our world today. I need to watch this video again – and the other videos Gardler has produced – ponder and respond. This captures what we should be doing.

Dave LaBelle | The Lesson from Francis Gardler on Vimeo.

Jim Coyle

Facebook: Changes, Accessibility, Service?

Jim Coyle — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:03:14 +0000

I don’t know how much longer I’ll have the old-ish Facebook layout, but I’m reading and hearing bad reactions to the new design. It feels like Facebook changes its look (and mind?) every few months. By the time we users are comfortable with a new look and navigation, it seems they come out with a new one. (And occasionally there’s something like the confusion between “News Feed” and “Live Feed” which for millions of users still isn’t really resolved.)

While it may take me a little longer to find people and apps in the days and weeks following a redesign, the sudden and frequent changes can be especially disorienting for many people who have come to rely on Facebook for contact and support while they’re limited in what they can do – homebound during illness, unable to respond quickly to change, etc. Online communication and community has become a life raft for millions of people, and Facebook’s practice of frequent – and poorly announced, if at all – changes is a serious issue.

I hope that Facebook’s leaders will actively and seriously review their practices in light of users who may have temporary or permanent physical or cognitive limitations, ones that enable the these persons to be very alive and valuable members of society, able to make valuable contributions to the online community, but need stable, consistent, familiar physical and online environments. These people, their families and their friends would then be able to remain active members of the Facebook community.

From a public service and accessibility standpoint, implementing an option to keep using an older Facebook design would be a significant service to these people, and from a business standpoint would help advertisers trying to reach this audience, including families and other caregivers. Otherwise, much of this audience will be lost.

Jim Coyle

Soundslides Project – God is Everywhere

Jim Coyle — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:19:18 +0000

This is a project by Shelbi Linscomb, her first using Soundslides.

Catholic Church & Media: Young Adult Views

Jim Coyle — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:38:47 +0000

What do young adults think about the Catholic Church in the media – its roles and responsibilities and how it is portrayed by media producers? Compare their statements with Vatican documents about the Catholic Church in the media.

Catholic Church in the Media: Young Adult Views from Jim Coyle on Vimeo.

Credits: Produced and directed by Rachael Pope. Original music created by Eric Allen. Thanks to Jacob Popcak and Sarah Hartung for taking the time to be interviewed. Special thanks to Michelle Proffit for her advice and assistance along the way.

Pontifical Council for Social Communication: Historical Timeline

Jim Coyle — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:27:35 +0000

Since January 30, 1948, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications has been acting as the Catholic Church’s link to the media world. It is the Council’s job to address questions that deal with social communications, and show how to use these means to spread the message of salvation to humanity.

Click on the arrow below to view an historical timeline aobut the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Timeline created by Matt Shiffler.

CatholicTV.com

Jim Coyle — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:10:45 +0000

“Your Catholic Broadband Network” – CatholicTV.com – is a leader in bringing Catholic television programming to online and now mobile media. From their website to an iPhone app, online players and presence on Twitter and Facebook, this ministry is going to the people, wherever they are.

About CatholicTV: CatholicTV provides family-friendly, religious, news, and educational programming 24 hours daily. Founded over 50 years ago, CatholicTV is available in selected areas on cable in the United States and Canada, via Sky Angel and online via a live stream anytime, everywhere at the station’s web site www.CatholicTV.com. Father Robert Reed, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston, is the Director of CatholicTV. Click here to paste this into your browser to find out how to watch CatholicTV where you live: www.CatholicTV.org/schedule/where-to-watch.aspx

Jim Coyle

Inter-Connections

Jim Coyle — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:29:39 +0000

A comment was posted earlier today on the Catholic Media Journal website that illustrates the connectivity among God’s people, even through time and cyberspace. Thoughts on that, and a new look on “running the race” in this fourth edition of the Catholic Media Journal Podcast. September 12, 2009. (7:55)

Or follow this direct link to Catholic Media Journal Podcast #4.

March 2008 Catholic Media Journal blog post and comments:
http://catholicmediajournal.com/2008/03/10/the-catholic-podcasting-underground/

Link to the Catholic Underground Podcast’s website.

Music: Podsafe Music from www.musicalley.com
Finish Line by Steve Parsons
Removed Approval by Ardent Octopus (Theme)

Jim Coyle

PBS Considering Striking ‘Sectarian’ Programming – Seeking Response Before June 12, 2009

Jim Coyle — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:11:01 +0000

We received word today about some programming policy changes that will be voted on by the PBS Board next week. These changes would have an impact on religious programming, and would particularly affect those PBS stations owned by Catholic entities. I encourage you to read this information, and if you can provide feedback to PBS, please do so before June 12, 2009.

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is poised to vote on June 14-15 on a revised programming policy for its affiliated television stations which, among other policies, would not permit them to air “sectarian” programs. Part of its decision will include a definition of “sectarian.” PBS’ proposed definition appears to include such programs as “The Face: Jesus in Art” and “Walking the Bible”, but excluding programs which consist of religious services (such as the Mass). In a meeting with USCCB staff, PBS spokespersons said that its upcoming decision will be an attempt to balance the need for its affiliates to meet their statutory requirement to meet local needs and interests with a desire to prevent the PBS “brand” from being associated with particular religious views and beliefs. PBS is a private corporation whose members are the television stations affiliated with PBS, and is not a government agency, so constitutional concerns and arguments are not germane to this proposed policy. Nevertheless, PBS’ decision can be influenced by the opinions not only of its member-stations, but of the affected communities.

The national PBS leadership is receiving comments on its proposed “no sectarian program” rule from its affiliates, which include several stations owned by religious entities. Those include WLAE, a New Orleans PBS affiliate owned by a lay Catholic organization, KMBH, a Brownsville PBS affiliate owned by the Diocese of Brownsville and KBYU, a PBS affiliate owned by a division of Brigham Young University. The Archdiocese of Washington already has been informed by WHUT in Washington, D.C. that its Mass for shut-ins, which had been aired for years on that station, will be dropped.

PBS staff has [said] that the decision-making committee would find community reaction helpful. If you or your staff have a reaction to this proposed decision, please send an email or fax to: Helen Osman, Secretary of Communications, USCCB at hosman@usccb.org or 202/541-3129 before June 12, 2009. We will forward these comments to PBS immediately.

More information on this topic can be found at http://www.current.org/pbs/pbs0907sectarian.shtml.

Jim Coyle