"If we’re not the people bringing hope into the conversation, then what are we doing?"
In this episode of Cross Section, Alicia, Danny and Peter focus on the media and the recent stories that have kept the BBC at the top of our headlines. Are they impartial? Can they be trusted? As Christians, where should we be getting our news from?
The episode starts with the team’s reactions to the finale of ‘Celebrity Traitors’. Who made the most accurate prediction? The discussion also includes a conversation about the potential impact had the chosen charity of each player been revealed.
The team move into the main conversation of the episode: the resignation of Tim Davie as the director general of the BBC. This was sparked by the clipping of Donald Trump’s speech regarding the Capitol attacks on January 6, 2021. This has also led to the resignation of the CEO of BBC News, Deborah Turness. The BBC are supposedly impartial and well trusted, but this has fed into ongoing concerns. Is there systemic bias within the culture of journalism at the BBC? Research shows that more than half of US adults sometimes get their news from social media, with TikTok having considerable influence. The team reflect on the value of getting our news from a wide range of sources, and the importance of understanding the different perspectives and possible biases of those sources.
Ultimately, however, as Christians we need to reorient and centre ourselves on Jesus. In the mess and confusion of this world, we carry the good news that shines a light into the darkest and most complex news story.
Good News People — Evangelical Alliance
Telling better stories: how Christians can reclaim media for truth — Evangelical Alliance
Timestamps:
00:00 — Introduction
02:37 — Celebrity Traitors
04:18 — BBC resignations and Panorama controversy
06:10 — Can we trust the BBC?
24:10 – Where do you get your news?
32:29 — Final thoughts — being good news people
