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Words are powerful - Thoughts shape - Ideas have consequences

Fr. Michael Reilly

NewsMax.com/St. Joseph by-the-Sea Internship Program
Posted July 11, 2005

Pope Benedict and the American Media

Once again, the media have failed miserably in their attempt to bully the Catholic Church into accepting their agenda. n American politics, the media are able to frame the debate on key issues by negatively portraying elected officials who disagree with their agenda or by commissioning and touting push polls.

Throughout the Terri Schiavo controversy, the media informed the public that the entire American public objected to Republican efforts in Congress to protect her life. After she was dead, it was revealed that there were serious flaws in the polls and that in reality nearly 80 percent of the American public actually believe that it was wrong to starve her to death.

Likewise, the media are able to damage the credibility of key people, and by extension their ideas, by labeling them. While the label "right wing" or "conservative" is regularly applied to some commentators, the media never apply the "liberal" label to other commentators. Barbra Streisand is simply Barbra Streisand, as compared to the "very conservative" Charlton Heston. Rush Limbaugh is the "conservative" radio host, but Al Franken is just a radio host. n a similar way, the media shamelessly attempted to bully the cardinals in their selection of the 265th pope.

Read the rest of the story: http://newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/4/22/165239.shtml

© Fr. Michael Reilly 2005 Reprinted with Permission

Fr. Michael Reilly was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1992 and is currently serving as Dean at St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School in Staten Island, New York. He served as Chairman of the Staten Island Clergy Conference from 2000 - 2002. He holds an M. A. in Theology and a P. D. in Educational Administration. He coordinates the NewsMax/St. Joseph by-the-Sea Internship Program and is a regular contributor to Inside Cover and Special Commentary at Newsmax.com