A recent online event titled “Rethinking Faith in Media: A Conversation,” hosted by the Faith & Media Initiative (FAMI), spotlighted the growing conversation around how faith is portrayed in media and entertainment.
FAMI, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting accurate representation of all faith traditions in media, used the gathering as a platform to raise critical questions: Is there a significant disparity between what believers and non-believers mean by faith? How is faith actually practiced, and how is it depicted in the media and entertainment? Moreover, if such a disparity exists, what are its causes?
While FAMI’s mission is interfaith and inclusive, this analysis focuses specifically on the issue from a Catholic perspective.
A Conspicuous Gap
While 85% of the world’s population identify with a faith, 74% of media representations of faith are interpreted as damaging or extreme. Additionally, while the majority of Americans (approximately 81% of the U.S. population) express a belief in God, over 60% of “entertainment consumers” (i.e., individuals who engage with and utilize various forms of entertainment, including media, experiences, and activities, for enjoyment and leisure) say that TV and movies perpetuate negative religious stereotypes. (Faith & Entertainment Study, 2024).
These findings likely won’t surprise most Catholics. There has been, for some time, a sense that the entertainment industry and religion are at odds.
This sense is not unfounded. Almost as a general rule, the media depicts Christians as crazy, corrupt, inept, or even evil. Television shows dating back to M.A.S.H. and movies like Dogma, The Last Temptation of Christ, and The Da Vinci Code are seen by many as efforts to ridicule Christianity.
In a sense, the media echoes the secular opinion that faith is naive and/or irrational. One can thank the diatribes of Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris for that nonsensical view of religion.
It has not always been this way.
Hays Change
In 1934, a self-imposed set of media industry guidelines known as the Hays Code took effect. The code (named after Will Hays, then president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America) dictated what kind of content could or could not appear in movies, lest the studios face monetary ruin. Owing to the code, things like “lustful” kissing, nudity, cursing, and the ridicule of religion were effectively banned.
It is no coincidence, then, that the major studios churned out biblical blockbusters like The Ten Commandments, Samson and Delilah, The Robe, and Ben-Hur, specifically designed to appeal to people of faith.
However, in 1968, the Hays Code was replaced by the Motion Picture Association film rating system, and Hollywood and religion went their separate ways. This divorce is not limited to movies. The belief that the U.S. media represents everything secular and anti-Catholic is widely held. How can this gap between religion and the media be explained?
An Ideological Divide
As a general rule, the more complex a problem, the more likely it is that there are several causes. Thus, we must acknowledge the likelihood that many factors contribute to the chasm between the media and religion.
Arguably, the most significant factor is an ideology predicated on politics. While any effort to ascertain why this is the case is beyond the scope of this paper, it is generally accepted that those in the media tend to hold very liberal political views. (Why Is Hollywood So Liberal, May 14, 2019, Jacobs, Tom).
Since a liberal political ideology is frequently secular, and since the majority of those in the media consider themselves liberal, it follows that the American media values secularism over religion.
Finally, there is a question of responsibility. To what extent is the media required to take a balanced approach to matters of faith and religion? One could argue that, at least concerning the entertainment aspect of media, free speech may take precedence over producing content that takes a positive approach to religion and faith.
Nevertheless, given that the vast majority of media consumers identify with some faith tradition, it would seem to be in the best interest of those in power in the media to provide a fair and nuanced approach to religion.
In light of this apparent divide between the American media and organized religion, is there any hope of changing perceptions?
All Is Not Lost
While what has been said thus far suggests a mutual gap in understanding and animosity between the media and entertainment industry and faith, all is not lost.
From the recent enthusiastic coverage of the election of Pope Leo XIV to a host of new streaming series featuring faith-inclusive characters (e.g., Testament, The Chosen, and It’s Not Like That), the desire for and interest in faith-inclusive media are on the rise.
Moreover, to the extent that the media and entertainment industry can refrain from filtering everything through the prism of politics, the chasm between the secular media and entertainment industry and the larger faith-based audience will close.
Conclusion
As the entertainment industry continues to diversify and globalize, there is an opportunity to shift from polarization to dialogue—especially if faith can be discussed outside of partisan frameworks.
As Angela Redding, executive director of FAMI, put it:
“At a time of global division, despair, and health crises, emerging research is clearly linking faith and spirituality to greater flourishing and wellbeing. Media and faith-forward leaders have a responsibility to illuminate the numerous ways faith can be a positive, unifying force. There is more to the story of faith than is usually told.”
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