MASS MEDIA

123 The mass media have the effect, among other things, of giving an aura of reality and actuality to the events, undertakings, and ideas about which they speak, and, contrariwise, of diminishing in popular estimation the importance of the things they are suet about.

The message of salvation, therefore, must have a place among the media of social communication (cf. 1M, 3). If is not enough to perfect the media that the Church already possesses in this field, but rather if is necessary to promote co-operation among the producers, writers, and actors who offer their services for this purpose. Such co-operation requires that on the national and international levels there be set up groups of experts who can give genuine assistance if consulted about programs of activities that pertain to religion.

Also, if is the function of catechesis to educate the faithful to discern the nature and value of things presented through the mass media. This, as is obvious, demands a technical knowledge of the language proper to these media.