Reviewing media: The South African: Star, and The South African News 24, 702, and others

(Media Study South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais


In media in South Africa, the "Sunday Times", and daily "Times", like 94.7 and Five FM, are inadvisable sources of News. "The Star" and "News 24", however seem accurate, objective and reliable. Other sources of relative accuracy, include Radio 702 Eyewitness news, and "Classic FM", although Classic FM does not always carry perspective one may enjoy, when covering religion, they seem respectful, as far as we have looked into it. Our reasons for not relying on the sites we say are inadvisable are found in evidence in previous articles, either here or on sites connected with us.

The Vatican said what?: What the Vatican did not say about the beetles recently

(Media Study South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

It was quite revolting, having Five FM, a government station insult Catholicism as they did: they said that the Vatican was hypocritical, just as Atheists ("Secular society") invited onto 94.7 Highvelt Stereo had said when the "New 7 deadly sins" were "introduced". Both media houses not only disappoint, not only had let the Catholic faith be criticized on air, but also: were providing inaccurate views and news, unless I missed something.

No "new" "seven deadly sins" have ever been introduced, and the Vatican did not apologize to the Beetles, for claims by a member of the band: that they were more popular than Jesus.

It seems, much of the media in more secular countries, actually simply are shooting blindly into the darkness when dealing with Religion, at least the BBC has advisors competent on religious matters, as with any professional media house: which helps stop inaccurate out of context views.

 I had been shocked when ETV, via E News Channel, had gotten a femanist, non-Anglican theologian to cover the Anglican split threats, via their interview of her. She called the Traditionalist Anglicans, who appose gay and women "priests", an old boys club: perhaps Jesus' old boys: considering the direct command of the bible on the matter, simply put: news and media in South Africa, with exceptions such as News 24, and some print media: in general not only get their facts wrong on religious issues, show extreme bias in the matter, but further: insult people for what they have not done: in fact, it can simply be called unconstitutional.

ETV, who also are known for late night Porn, have also done similar things in Sydney World Youth Day, showing protests, but not the size of those who apposed the few protesters, who they somehow found somewhere. On the Anglican issue; the Anglican church has now destroyed their chances of reuniting even with the Orthodox churches, 75% of Christianity was alienated from them in one swoop, it was no old boys club which wanted to prevent the further separation of Christians based on ideological ideals foreign to the majority of Christian faith.

Both of the more recent stories, by Radio stations, are misinformation. Both have the same source, which they misquote, a newspaper based in the Country called the Vatican :"L'Osservatore Romano".

The Newspaper, for the "7 new deadly sins" was misquoted: in an interview, where they asked a cardinal what the 7 worst sins of today's world are. The same non-Papal newspaper, was quoted in an editorial, not by the pope, or Vatican: as saying that while it was condemned at the time: the Beetle's music really was what some would call "that good", and it was the boastings of an immature boy that were condemned. Simply put, the church has made no retractions on any "statement" about the Beetles.

Wow, two more Radio stations onto my: do not trust for any information on religion list. A radio station I advise for news: is Classic FM, I have never been too disappointed with their accuracy. Jacaranda 94.2, is also okay, even if it plays Afrikaans songs, and old music every now and again, though the scientologists may not like them very much, we aren't scientologists, but Catholics, and Christians, so I thought only to mention this. As for adequacy in reporting on US politics, there are very little if any, including the Southern Cross, who also are not able to do this adequately: who could possibly give an accurate view of American politics, of those based in South Africa: such things are left to Reuters, or the BBC, or Euronews, even with some bias in BBC, and Euronews, and others: still: almost no South African source gives what we consider an accurate "get the dirt" picture of US politics.

With the exception of the "Times" and "Sunday Times", who have quite the anti-catholic bias in some articles; on normal issues, many local newspapers, are naive at worst, it seems, but we have not reviewed them all. Another paper which may give wrong information from the Vatican is the Southern Cross, their quotation on Latin mass ideas some time ago: did not give all the needed details, and for the Latin mass, had a photo of a schismatic group's church next to it... the church does not permit attendance of these masses by SSPV, who they showed. Another incorrect fact by the "Southern Cross", was on the new psychological screening of priests, which they said aimed at getting rid of gay priests: i.e. sexually active priests, or priest who cannot control their urges. I myself have other sources on the screening, both secular and Catholic, and the "Southern Cross" was incorrect in their view of "discrimination".

And so to clarify: the seven deadly, or capital sins are : lust, envy, anger/wrath, gluttony, sloth/acaidia, pride, greed: the meanings being theological of course.

And secondly, the beetles, have not been apologized to for anything: if you say something irresponsible, and someone brings it up, why should they apologize.

Thirdly, the news and media needs to get advisors on Catholicism, who are knowledgeable in Canon law, and internal politics, like the BBC and others have: as it is dangerous to quote independent Catholic news as the Vatican, and worse to call Catholics hypocritical for following rules and regulations long set out, based on centuries, on millenia of running an organization.

Fourth: new regulations on priests are aimed at sex offenders, not men who feel attraction to other men, and suffer from the evolutionary disorder, we call homosexuality (not insinuating it is genetic, only that it is not a fittest survive condition;)!