CST Handout

Catholic Social Teaching
As seen through
Media Bias
Prepared by Bill Keenan & Domenic Noto

CST #1-Life and Dignity of the Human Person
In the Catholic Social Teaching about the Life and Dignity of the Human Person, the church proclaims that the human life is sacred. There are many threats to human dignity such as racism, ignorance and blind hatred towards many groups. The church calls on us to be mindful of these threats and to do our best to curb these threats. Our subject can be related to the Life and Dignity of the Human Person because in skewing the truth, reporters effectively misguide the public.
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CST #2-Call to Family, Community, and Participation
Catholic Social teaching #2, the Call to family, Community, and Participation is centered on the importance of relationships. It teaches that human dignity can only be recognized within the context of our relationships. It also teaches that everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the common good of the society. This can be related to media bias through the idea that the world news audience is a community. The bias in the media can have a direct effect to the call to community because it can hurt the world community of news viewers.
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CST #3-Rights and Responsibilities
The Catholic Church teaches that there is a right to the common good, personal responsibility as well as social rights. This Catholic Social Teaching teaches that we must face problem in society with a strong moral vision and look out for those who do not have the privileges that we do. In relation to media bias, the reporters and members of the media all have the responsibility to report accurately and to not skew the news reports. Media bias is based on the individual gains of the biased reporter and is not based on the common good. http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/PageMill_Images/media_monkeys.jpg





CST #4- Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
The Catholic Church also teaches a communal goal to respect those that do not have the means that the wealthy have. We are called on to follow in the foot steps of Jesus Christ and to give respect, dignity and assistance to the poor and vulnerable. It does not promote human dignity to lie about the news and to change the truth in order to meet your own economical, social or political goals. It is a specific goal of the Catholic Church to promote the welfare of those who cannot help themselves. http://maxdunbar.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/faux_news11.jpg



CST #5-Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
Catholic Social Teaching #5, the Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers, proclaims the need to respect employees and the work that they do. The Church calls on us to make sure that all of our actions are geared towards the respect of these workers. The primary purpose of work is the acquisition of property to ones self. We need to acknowledge this purpose and to assist employees in their pursuit of necessary property. This CST relates to media bias because of the actions taken by reporters. Those who employ reporters and ask them to slant the news are actually taking their human dignity and are not respecting their right to be employed in a just job. http://www.merinews.com/upload/thumbimage/1220784054363_media_




CST # 6 – Solidarity
Catholic Social Teaching #6 has to do with solidarity. In this teaching, the Church emphasizes that we are all one human family. Because of this, we are all responsible for the well being of all other humans. The commandment of love thy neighbor is a major factor in this CST. When relating this teaching to media bias, the line connecting them has to do with the growing realm of communication. Today, news can be spread instantly across the internet and through television. This information can travel across the world in a matter of seconds. If the news is biased, it can affect the views of millions of people. That can have a large affect on the views and ideas of people. Since we are all called to help each other as a global community, media bias can affect the solidarity of our world.
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CST # 7 – Care for God’s Creation
Catholic Social teaching #7 focuses on how we must care for the world God has provided for us. God created a beautiful, wonderful place for us to live, and it is our job, as a people, to maintain his creation. In the injustice of media bias, CST #7 is relevant to the far reaching hand of the media. News can reach all over the world in a matter of seconds, and can have a dramatic affect on it in the same time. If people function off of slanted reports from news media, it can possibly affect important decisions that could lead to the damaging of our planet.


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