Reformed media should communicate on the basis of scriptural foundations, in a courageous and authentic way – we heard at the conference of Reformed journalists in the Carpathian Basin. Nearly fifty journalists participated in the two-day meeting, held in Balatonszárszó, half of whom came from abroad.
“The communication of the Reformed Church cannot be examined only in terms of the present time, since up to the Age of Enlightenment, the sphere of communication was dominated by the church,” explained in his presentation László Köntös, former Deputy Bishop of the Transdanubian Reformed Church District, and senior communications advisor. “We can still build on this foundation today, in the 21st century,” he explained. ‘”Nowadays there is a layer of Christianity that keeps a distance from theological teachings but has ties to Christian traditions in their culture and lifestyle. It is an important mission of Reformed journalists to address these people with the Word of God,” Rev. Köntös emphasized.
László Köntös, former Deputy Bishop of the Transdanubian Reformed Church District, senior communications advisor
Bishop Zoltán Balog, Ministerial President of the Synod of RCH pointed out three areas that Reformed media outlets should devote their attention to. According to Bishop Balog, people primarily expect guidance in certain major life issues – such as marriage, sickness, mourning, relationships, having children. The church must also speak up when it comes to civilizational and cultural challenges, as well as issues of public life. The church leader underlined that the teachings of the church must be made accessible and comprehensible to the world, and journalists have a pivotal role in this.
Bishop Balog
“It is important to know who we are and who we wish to address,” said journalist Bálint Ablonczy, Research Fellow at Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, referring to the church’s media strategy that is currently being developed. The expert also discussed in his address the fact that media consumption habits were changing at a rapid pace. While the influence of traditional media outlets, including television and print media, is diminishing, new doors are opening up in the online sphere, which are worth exploiting.
Apart from church communication, other topics were also brought up during the conference. Social psychologist and gossip researcher Zsuzsa Szvetelszky of Károli University gave a talk on internal communication and the nature of gossip.
The first meeting of Reformed media workers in the Carpathian Basin was held in Miskolc back in 2009. By organising the event, the communications service of the Reformed Church in Hungary aims to provide professional support, as well as an opportunity for strengthening our Reformed unity.
Translated by Réka Komáromi