1. Alternative
media
Mass
media
Alternative
Mission
and
Alternative
Media:
Challenges
for the new
millennium

2. If Jesus had an access to Internet?
Bishop’s call and missionaries refusal
Use of the Alternative Media in Mission
Mission in the context of Alternative
media
Challenges of Alternative Media to
Mission
Towards a Holistic Mission of God by
being in the Alternative Media

3. ALTERNATIVE
MEDIA
Global to
local
Local to global
Cheap,
available
Effectiveness
Simple, plain
Easy access
to community
Development and social
change Democratic,
participatory
Against mass
media in promoting
culture of peace,
dialogue
Promote communitarian values and Individual
freedom
Inter-cultural
understanding
Purpose
Reaching the mass but
not for profit
Fair representation of minorities,
disabled, refugees…
Taking sides with
poor, labourers in
reporting
Voice of
the
voiceless
Culturally rooted, community building,
inter religious harmony
Praxis

4. Mass
Media
Market Pressure/Profit
motive/increasing space
Negative
/Stereotype
reporting as
Practice
Popularizing
strange things -
fundamentalism
Constructing
Realities:
Turning reality
into a myth…
Media refers to TV/Radio/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet…
Information
Communication
Entertainment
Rich, powerful,
professionals
get more space

5. Alternative
media
characteristics
Dialogic, democratic,
communitarian, local,
participation
Voice of
voiceless,
minorities
and others
Cheap, easy
access, non-
profit, simple,
non-
professional
Towards
Social
change,
human
dignity
and
development
Intercultural in nature,
culturally rooted, folk
culture, updated
interactive technology
Alternative
perspectives and
practices
Space for
disabled,
HIV/AIDs
infected,
refugees,
Eunuchs, and
less privileged
people
Promote a
culture of
peace and
harmony

6. 2. The Models of Mission
i. Transmission Model of
Mission
- proselytism is
considered a "scandal
and counter-witness
Exclusive claims –
uniqueness without
offense?
Instrumental perspective
of media –audience as
mere recipients

7. Encoding
Gospel
Missionary
Inclusive
adaptations
Decoding
culture
Decoding
Gospel
Non-Christians
Encoding
culture
Circular model

8. Media and Mission
Instrumental Perspective
Effect Centered Perspective
Jesus’ Mission and Communication

9. Jesus Engaged in others’
search for meanings
Jesus often listens to his
audiences
Jesus accepted his listeners
‘as they were’

10. Hinduism Judaism
Jainism
Buddhism
Christianity
Islam
Greek, Egyptian,
Roman religions
Mission – engage in this
search for God – looking at
from people’s perspective!

11. Prophetic
Liberative
Nourishes
Culture
Building
Communities
Development-
oriented
Dialogic
Plurality
of Mission
Evangelization
conversion

12. Mission and Ecumenism
Plurality of Mission
Prophetic Liberative
Nourishes
Culture
Building
Communities
Evangelization
Development-
oriented
Participatory
Dialogic
and
interactive

13. Action and Reaction
Indian
Context
Today

14. Mass Media and Ignorance
Huntington’s thesis on Clash of Civilization
Edward Said’s Clash of Ignorance
Ignorance does not refer to ‘not-knowing the other’ rather means to
‘knowing more or only the negative side of the other’. It is often articulated
by the vested groups and so can be identified as ‘articulated ignorance’ of the
other.

15. Media and Mythical statements
‘Christianity is a slow poison which is the
cause of peace and family felling among
the tribals. Christian missionaries have
made use of Government resources for
the purposes of conversions’. – Sandesh
Newspaper
missionaries do forceful conversion in
Gujarat -Gujarat Samachar (a daily
newspaper), Nav Gujarat (a daily),

16. Attacks on the churches in Gujarat
after these reports

17. Muslim
Refugees
Dead bodies from
the train
Bogie on fire
Post Godhra
hatredness
hum paanch,
hamaare pachhis
(we are five and
we will be twenty
five).

18. Existential Pluralism?
Removing
Ignorance as
mission
No access to Mass Media and No access to Churches’
Media and so an attempt for an alternative media?

19. Possible Alternative Media are posters,
writings on the wall, loud speakers,
postcards, Christmas cards, cards, flannel
boards, pamphlets, tracts, notices boards,
notices, magazines, newspapers, puppets,
slide projectors, audio cassettes, VCDs,
DVDs, Video cassettes, VCRs, television,
computer, websites, Internet, radio and
special training programs and seminars,
fellowship groups, street theatre; some
types are - Christian education, access to
schools, festival programmes, house-visits,

20. Further Possibilities to explore –
- FM Radio Stations in colleges and
Schools for education and awareness
Narrowcasting, community radio…
- Local Cable Channel space or Cable
Channels
- Running a Newspaper for local
community
- Online broadcasting, webhosting,
networking the members of the church
and sending them clips of songs,
messages and information

21. Christian Media and
Ministry
• FEBA, Vishvawani, Vatican, Pentecostal -
Radio Ministry
• Lutheran Media Centre, Catholic Media
Centre, CARAVS, Kalaikaveri - Audio
Cassette
• Jesus Calls, Jesus Redeems – Television,
Jeevan TV, Local Cable networks
• Tracts, Pamphlets, Posters Ministry
• Magic, Animation, Puppets

25. Alternative
Media and
Mission
Sharing the
Gospel
Serving
Christian
Community
New Spirituality,
Alternative media
and mission
Ecumenical
Media as
alternative
Interacting wit
Communities
Networking
different
Communities
Alternative
Media for
Development
Net as
Alternative
Media
Training Priests
and
Missionaries
Banking the
Knowledge
Alternative - Media
Education as
mission
Alternative
media and
cultural groups

26. Examples of Alternative Media
Street Theatre Programmes
for HIV/AIDs Awareness
ICT for Development Training
NGOs in Bangladesh
Thailand Training NGOs

27. Poster Campaign against HIV/AIDs

28. Protest, Bridging,
advocacy and Dialogue
as AM principles for
Mission

29. Taking
Technology
to Villagers

30. Mission to Christians first
Mission from People’s Perspective
Engaging in the culture of Media
and in people’s search for
meanings
Not the Use of AM rather becoming
platform of AM which is mission