Programmatische Stichworte zum Selbstverständnis der Kirchenfunkarbeit

Abstract

"Der liebe Gott hat eine gute Herberge in einem Hörfunkhaus", bemerkte 1972 der
damalige WDR-Hörfunkdirektor Fritz Brühl mit Blick auf jene Programmkästchen
im Funk, die den Themen Religion, Kirche und Theologie zugedacht sind. Ob diese Herbergen in Funk und Fernsehen wirklich so gut und ziemlich sind, wag(t)en immer wieder Kritiker aus Kirchenkreisen zu bezweifeln. Denn verantwortlich für den Zustand und das Interieur dieser Herbergen sind, 'abgesehen von den Kirchen mit ihren Gottesdienst- und Andachtsangeboten, vor allem die Fachredaktionen im Funk. (...) 

English 

How do the editors working in the religious departments of two German television
channels (A. R. D. and Z. D. F.) themselves see and understand their journalistic role? This was the basic question of a study based on the respective literature and also on personal nterviews. The results show that there is indeed a specific own convtctwn of the editors,who are of course expressed by them in different ways. The following are some of the essential headings for their work according to their own understanding: Information, Proclamation, Church, Representation, Assistance and the awareness of the vital responsibilities in the life of society and man. Also the fact of working in a public service system with certain independency from the official Church give a special sense for responsibility towards the roJe of the media in public life and public opinion. As for the programme content of the productions of the religious departments in the past decades, the part of the big Churches diminished in favour of a more immediate own concept to serve the religious and existential dimensions of human life at large.