Rite and Reason: Freedom of the press must be a fundamental value in democratic society, not least freedom of the religious press, writes Canon Ian Ellis
This month marks the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Church of Ireland Gazette. It first appeared as a monthly in March 1856 under the title the Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette, becoming weekly in 1880 and adopting its present name in 1900.
This anniversary prompts some religious reflection on the purpose of a newspaper, not least in the context of a world in which broadcasting and electronic communication is now not only very sophisticated, but also widely in use and often instant.
The purpose of newspapers thus is evolving from being more or less the sole providers of news. One role today for a serious newspaper is in providing much more extended reporting and deeper analysis than is possible in broadcast news programmes.
In a lecture which he gave last year at Lambeth, Archbishop Rowan Williams spoke of "surprise" as a central task of journalism. In a more negative reaction to this, one might think of the sensationalism that exists solely to attract more purchases.
However, as Dr Williams suggested, a more positive reading of journalistic surprise points to the revealing of truths that are hidden in order to perpetuate injustice. Indeed, it is axiomatic that an element of surprise is bound to be part of the presentation of anything that is new, such as news. Responsible journalism, then, involves the managing of that phenomenon, the journalistic surprise, in a morally responsible way.
Of course the media generally are about communication. In the church, as in society at large, what is required is the communication of news in a way that stimulates as much mature thought and informed debate as possible.
It is through debate and discussion that humans begin to see the way forward. Indeed, the church is precisely a community that is helped to discern God's will and truth through prayerful discussion, principally around scripture. The theme of communication inevitably leads, in a religious context, to reflection on the theological concept of communion. The sacred communio (fellowship) that is God's gift to the church is nourished by true communication within the body of Christ.
That is why a chief characteristic of the ecumenical movement has been dialogue - which is, in fact, very real communication. "Coffee cup ecumenism", now widely regarded as not deep enough to have real meaning, is the beginning of ecumenical communication. It is simple ecumenical "body language" and has, with the passing of time, mostly given way to open, honest and at times very profound talking.
Naturally, open communication is a threat to those who wish to control society in an oppressive way. In Nepal, press freedom activists have launched a renewed campaign against the persistent repression of the media since King Gyanendra seized absolute power on February 1st last year. The International Mission for Press Freedom and Free Expression in Nepal has recently reported that 1,000 journalists have lost their jobs and government-induced economic pressure has increased on many media companies.
In addition, it registered at least 273 cases of arrests of journalists and 147 cases of physical attacks and threats towards the press, along with 569 cases of press censorship. The experience in Nepal is just one example of the denial of basic press rights in today's world. Freedom of the press must be a fundamental value in democratic society, not least the freedom of the religious press.
However, all freedom involves responsibility if it is not to descend into chaos and so it is right that there are certain limitations to press freedom, even in truly free societies. Libel, decency and the guarding of national security all are topics that will surface in any discussion on where the limits of press freedom lie.
The professional journalist must have certain priorities in his or her work and central to these will be a commitment to the truth. As the journalist is serving freedom, truth is essential. Scripture indicates that there is a fundamental connection between truth and freedom, the former enabling the latter. Christ says "the truth will set you free" (John 8:32); indeed, that is the motto of the Anglican Communion.
While it is often decried, because of perceived intrusiveness in certain quarters of the press, the profession of journalism - whether ecclesiastical or secular - is a truly noble calling. Its purpose ranks among the highest in life - the building up of human freedom through communication of the truth.
The Church of Ireland, as with most other denominations, embraces a wide variety of views and outlooks. In the current, at times heated debate within the Anglican Communion on human sexuality, as much actual dialogue as possible is essential. In the now famous resolution I.10 on the issue, of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, bishops committed themselves to a listening process.
The church media will never resolve such major differences, but in this particular debate and in other similar, if not as high profile, ones, the Church of Ireland Gazette hopes to promote real communication.
Canon Ian Ellis is rector of Newcastle, Co Down, and editor of the Church of Ireland Gazette