Slate 1

My Code

Jordan Slate

Karyn Campbell

North Greenville University

29 November 2016
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1) Truthtelling

Tell the truth without ceasing. God's truth should always be told. Currently, I work at a Christian

television station. Typically, our shows consist of what would be considered God's truth. We tell

what the Bible says. We show authentic love to those who call our station. We, the crew, are true

to each other, and we work well.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, If you abide in my word, you are truly my

disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32 ESV)

Truthtelling is pivotal for such a profession. Without it, my work would be void. The Judeo-

Christian view of persons as ends simply states Love your neighbor as yourself.

(PRINCIPLES) Telling the truth is telling love. If we truly love our neighbors, we tell them the

truth in broadcasting. Christians should long to share the gospel with people. Typically, only the

greedy wish to spread false gospel. True and authentic Christians wish to share truth. According

to a poll by debate.org, most people think the media is not to be trusted (debate.org). However,

Christian media must strive to rise above the preconceived thoughts of media. Truth is essential

to our mission.

2) Souce-reporter relationships

Within Christian media, the source is the divine Word of God. We are the reporters. We should be

in constant communion with the Father. Whenever I use a source, I assume the source is reliable.

The one thing I hold true, based upon my beliefs, is the Bible. The Bible is inerrant (Bible). It is

the one thing that we can trust without a doubt to be true every single time. There is no situation

it cannot help you with.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in

righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2
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Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)

Kant's Categorical Imperative states we are to act upon that maxim which [we] will to

become a universal law. (PRINCIPLES) We are to treat the Gospel as the Universal

Law, and our relationship with this source should be unbreakable. Since our source is

very reliable, we should have no problem achieving unity and harmony with it.

3) Social justice

Within Christian media, social justice would involve helping others and saving the lost. Our duty

is to give the people we serve due justice by telling them about Jesus. The whole point of

Christian media is to give hope. My station actually has a missions house by which we feed

people, give toys to children, and share the love of Jesus. We make it known what our mission

statement is, something clean in the air (WGGS).

If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land

that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against

your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need,

whatever it may be. (Deuteronomy 15:7-8 ESV)

From this, we can draw from the Judeo-Christian paradigm. Social justice lives through the

Golden Rule. If we love each other, both on and off air, we are truly showing the example Christ

laid out before us. Moral conduct is representative of God, the Creator (PRINCIPLES).

4) The public's right to know

Growing up a pastor's son has opened my eyes to the things many people would not see in the

Christian world. Christian life is hard, and sometimes people in charge make mistakes. The issue

of disclosure is not that much different from a church to a television station. The public has a

right to know what is going on within an organization that puts itself out in the public eye
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(Christian organizations by nature tend to be more apparent and visible). A place that asks for

donations to help keep a ministry going should be, by default, transparent (About). The viewers

fund the station, and the fact that it still runs is based upon trust that the viewers endow the

station with.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather

than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the

light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. (John 3:19-20 ESV)

Mill's principle of utility calls us to seek the most happiness for the most people (PRINCIPLES).

By being transparent, we can achieve a greater level of happiness within our target audience. We

need this to survive as a station.

5) The public's right to privacy

I, as an employee of a local Christian television station, cannot disclose certain information that

is personal to others. This sounds like the exact opposite of the last rule, but let me explain. Our

station takes prayer requests from people across the upstate (WGGS). They usually give their

names to our prayer partners along with more contact information. The issue is that we cannot

disclose their information over the air. We can use first names possibly, but 'namedropping' is a

privacy concern for the station. In addition, the guests who come on our show have to be

informed that thousands of people could indeed see their phone numbers or emails. They have to

know what they are getting into before they lose that private part of their lives. Islam's divine

command states that justice, human dignity and truth are unconditional duties. (PRINCIPLES)

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to

you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. (Isaiah 30:18 ESV)

We are called to do that which causes our brothers to grow or develop in the ways of the Lord.
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By doing this through media, we open ourselves to a bit more variables, but the objective can be

reached through commitment and care.

6) The media as a gatekeeper

Christian media as a whole focuses on, well, the Gospel. Therefore, the gospel and its message is

what I want to help distribute throughout the world (and through our broadcasts). Nodding's

Relational Ethics state that the 'one-caring' attends to the 'cared-for' in thought and deeds.

(PRINCIPLES). In this case, we are caring for the ones we are broadcasting to. Sometimes the

public needs to hear a word of encouragement on a dark day. There are days a lost person needs

to finally hear about the Word of God. In my profession, I want to do nothing but show that

message to those people. There is a place for regular entertainment. There is a place for news and

sports. In contrast, the broadcasts I am part of what may be the only church some of these people

see each week.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of

the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And

behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)

We need to show these people what Christ is all about (Christianity... and media).

7) The separation (or not) of advertising and editorial content

Editorial content lives because of advertising. This does not mean that advertising and editorial

content are one in the same, or that advertisers should directly influence what the medium holder

is trying to distribute. If those who advertise determine what is aired, then what is really being

offered by us, the Christian media? There is a false motive (Christianity... and media). Our

station uses advertisements to pay for the station to run. They do not dictate what is shown.

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. (Proverbs 21:2 ESV)
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We can have what we think are the right intentions, but we can lose the heart of what we are

trying to accomplish. Sure, at first we can give advertisers a bit of say with content to keep them.

But soon, the advertisers are the focus of the medium. We are not here to make money. We are

here to distribute the Word of God. We can apply Islam's divine commands to this

(PRINCIPLES). Neither justice nor human dignity would be shown if we allowed advertisers all

the say of a Christian broadcast. Justice is everyone hearing what God needs them to hear.

Human dignity is lost when we lose focus on God.

8) Conflicting loyalties between serving the public and making a profit

Making a profit is not the goal of Christian media. The goal is to serve the public's interest in

Christ.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a

man give in return for his soul? (Matthew 16:26 ESV)

We do not go in thinking about how much money we can make from our broadcasts. Yes, I have

to make a living through this medium. Yes, I do get paid because I need money to survive.

However, one will not typically get rich through filming this type of message with the right

heart. Think of televangelists. Joel Osteen comes to mind. He has millions of dollars, a private

jet, a 'ranch' mansion, and a beautiful family (Newsmax). He is broadcast throughout the world.

Some may say his theology is wrong, while others say that he's at least getting the message out

there as a first step for non-believers. What is evident is that his heart was lost. He has the whole

world, but in an honest opinion, he just preaches about the sunny times because his life is just

that. We could apply Mill's Principle of Utility to this as well (seek the greatest happiness for

the aggregate whole) (PRINCIPLE). What we see with Osteen is indeed happiness for the
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whole, but he is missing the point. Happiness comes from God and Jesus, not feel-good sermons.

We have a moral duty to tell of the real world, not of the fantasy that everything is sunshine and

unicorns through God.

9) Diversity

Diversity is essential to Christianity (Diversity). The children of God are all people. We should

depict the media as such. Our station features hosts, guests, and employees from all walks of life.

We do not discriminate. We have everyone because every type of person is a part of the body.

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing

his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be

saved. (Romans 10:12-13 ESV)

The important part of that verse is the statement of no distinction. We are all the same in the

body. An all inclusive God would be proud of an all inclusive television station. Confucius'

Golden Mean states that moral virtue is the appropriate location between two extremes.

(PRINCIPLES) On one side, we can see the extreme of races. On the other, we can see the

different types of lives and social statuses depicted throughout the world. In the middle is what

Christian media should strive to be. We should show the poor, the rich, the black, and the white.

Some people are blessed more than others. Some people are just born differently than others. The

uniqueness singularity we have is our belief in Christ.

10) Freedom of speech/Censorship

We have the freedom as Christian media to state our beliefs in Christ. We do not, however, have

the ability to say anything we want.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits

the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29 ESV)
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Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? (James 3:11 NLT)

We are not called to say whatever comes on our minds just because we are pondering what is in

our hearts. We are not to shut people down based upon struggles in their lives. At the same time,

and this may be redundant, Christian television is part of the 'safe haven' for clean and family-

friendly messages (Monitor). If the message we send to people is not that of Christ, what is the

point? Many people point to James 3:11 as an argument for not cursing. I believe this to be

accurate. However, I believe we can extend this verse to anything that is unwholesome,

shameful, or otherwise obtrusive of the message of Christ. The Potter Box forces the medium to

show loyalty and have a sense of duty for the parties involved (PRINCIPLES). We owe it to

everyone to give the message of Christ out in a way that is ethically sound. God deserves that.
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Reference

Bible Verses About Truth: 20 Great Scripture Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29,

2016, from http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/bible-verses-about-truth-

20-great-scripture-quotes/

Can the media be trusted to tell the truth? (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from

http://www.debate.org/opinions/can-the-media-be-trusted-to-tell-the-truth

PRINCIPLES OF MEDICAL ETHICS. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from

http://www.jesuschristsavior.net/Ethics.html

About. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from http://badchristianmedia.com/about/

Bible Authority | God, The Ultimate Source of Authority. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29,

2016, from http://www.centervilleroad.com/articles/authority-3.html

WGGS TV Home of Carolina Christian Broadcasting. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2

016, from http://wggstv.com/

Christianity in communication and media. (2016). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from

https://www.clministry.com/college/news/story.php?story_id=52

Newsmax (2015, May 8). Joel Osteen fun facts: 10 things you might not know about

evangelical leader Joel Osteen. FastFeatures. Retrieved November 28, 2016, from

http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/joel-osteen-fun-facts/2015/05/08/id/643575/

Johnson, R., Vreeland, D., Lee, K., Morse, M., Villodas, R., Smith, M., & Richardson, S.

(2014, May 12). Diversity in the church is essential to gods mission. Retrieved

November 29, 2016, from Uncategorized, http://www.missioalliance.org/diversity-in-

the-church-is-essential-to-gods-mission/

Monitor, T. C. S. (1993, November 29). TVs Safe haven. Retrieved November 29, 2016,
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from http://www.csmonitor.com/1993/1129/29221.html

*The Bible is used as a source for this paper. APA requires only in-text citations with the

appropriate version listed.