Techniques and Production of Electronic Media for Evangelization in Africa
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Date
2002-02
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
Jesus came to bear witness to the love of the Father and did this using all the
means of communication available at that time. He preached the Kingdom of God, taught
God's will, ate with the outcasts, healed the sick and demon-possessed, died on the cross,
rose from the dead and finally went back to the Father. Before his ascension, He left a
command: "Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to the whole human
race". (Mark 16.15b) Some two thousand years after that, many people still ask, can the
means of communications, especially electronic media be used effectively in promoting
justice, peace and Gospel values in Africa? "As evangelisers our challenge is precisely to
make the Catholic faith become part of the cultural deposit of a given society."
Traditional means of communication are often particular and limited to an ethnic
group, and used within a given cultural context. What makes them particular to an ethnic
group or society is the fact that they are drawn from the life of the people. They are used
to reinforce the teachings, provoke reflection, and can last over many generations since
they are usually interesting and rich in meaning. Dance and drama are often used during
feasts and ceremonies, while proverbs and stories are best used in public speeches and
during teachings. Traditional means of communication belong to a particular people.
They own them and transmit them. They are localised and limited to a specific ethnic
group.
On the other hand, electronic media is owned by an elite either government or
powerful business houses, especially the advertising agents and the journalists. They are broadcast over a wider field and usually span many ethnic groups. As evangelisers, if we
want to use them to promote the Good News, what can we do?
This Long Essay deals with technical aspect on how to use electronic media to
promote the Good News. It is divided into two parts.
Part one is theoretical, divided into three chapters. In the first chapter we are going
to have a look at the basic understanding of communication with particular reference to
the importance of communication media as tools for evangelisation. We will specifically
focus on the process of communication and the means of communication available in
Africa. In the second chapter, we will have a closer look at Radio and the use of audio
cassettes, their techniques and production in order to use them for evangelisation. The
third chapter will deal in a similar way with the techniques of television and video
production.
Part two takes a form of a report on a seminar I gave at Tangaza College on the
29th of January 2002. The seminar dealt with practical aspects on the use of electronic
media for evangelisation in Africa. Those who attended this seminar were given an
opportunity to ask questions, listen to and watch two of our productions: One was an
audio-cassette, a radio drama: "Christmas 2001 in Kenya" adapted from the Gospel of
Luke 2; 1-20 and the second was a video project: "Love Heals", dealing with the African
and Gospel values at work in Saint Odilia's dispensary in Karen, Nairobi. At the end of
my long essay, are appendices holding all the data used for these productions, other
sources and selected bibliography.
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Keywords
Electronic Media, Tools of Evangelization, God's Communication, The Trinitarian Aspect, Model of Communication, Audio Techniques for Evangelisation, Television and Video