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Religious Filter Bubbles? The Influence of Religion on Mediated Public...
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Religious Filter Bubbles? The Influence of Religion on Mediated Public Sphere

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2023) | Viewed by 10112

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mónika Andok

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Communication Studies, Institute of Communication and Media Studies, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, 1088 Hungary, Budapest
Interests: online media; media culture; religion and media; media genres
Dr. Ákos Kovács

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Media Studies, Institute of Communication and Media Studies, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, 1088 Hungary, Budapest
Interests: film and media; visual culture; theology; religion and public sphere

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A series of comprehensive monographs focusing on the relationship between religion and media have been published in recent decades, which indicate the expansion and diversity of research. The purpose of the special issue of the journal Religions, Religious Filter Bubbles? - The Influence of Religion on Mediated Public Sphere, is to provide a comprehensive picture and a related typology of the effects of religion on traditional and online media and public sphere. Therefore, in the special issue, we are looking for articles and research that deal with the following questions:

What is the effect of religion on the institutional system, the regulatory environment of the media and public sphere? What kind of relationship can be revealed between broader social communication processes, the discourses in the public sphere and the religious influence appearing in them? Can filter bubble effects be detected in the process? We are also looking for case studies, which analyse some cases in a national context.

Among the religious influences, we must mention the thematizing power of religion and the possibility of religious framing in media contents. Does religious framing strengthen the filter bubble effect or neutralize it? We expect researches in this area to be included in the special issue as well.

We also deal with the question of how to identify the construction of religious meaning in the media contents, be they fictional or non-fictional; news programs or genres of popular culture. And how can all this be captured not only in the narrative, but in the visual elements, too.

Among the religious influences, it is worth investigating the appearance of ritual communication, and applying the framework of media events suggested by Katz and McLuhan's technological approach in the research. The above research questions are only some of many to which we will find an answer in the texts published in this Special Issue.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the guest editors (andok.monika@btk.ppke.hu, akos.kovacs@btk.ppke.hu) or to the Religions editorial office (religions@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the “Instructions for Authors” page.

Religions is an international, peer-reviewed, open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the “Instructions for Authors” page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Golan, Oren – Martini, Michele: Religious live-streaming: constructing the authentic in real time. In: Information, Communication and Society. 22. 3. March (2019). 437–454.

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Grishaeva Ekaterina Traditionalist orthodox christian media: Discourse structure and peculiarities of the functioning In.: E. I. Grishaeva, V. A. Shumkova:  Monitoring Obshchestvennogo Mneniya: Ekonomicheskie i Sotsial'nye Peremeny.  2018.  Vol. 144.  Iss. 2.  P. 291–308.

Guo, Lei – McCombs, Maxwell (szerk.) The Power of Information Networks. New Directions for Agenda Setting. New York, London: Routledge Francis and Taylor, 2016.

Guzek, Damian: Discovering the Digital Authority - Twitter as Reporting Tool for Papal Activities In. Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet. (2015). 63–80.

Hepp, Andreas – Krönert, Veronica: Religious Media Events. The Catholic „world Youth Day” as an example of teh mediatization and individualization of religion.  In.: Couldry, Nick – Hepp, Andreas – Krotz, Friedrich (eds.): Media Events in a Global Age. London – New York, Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, 2010. 265–282.

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Dr. Mónika Andok
Dr. Ákos Kovács
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • agenda setting and religions
  • framing
  • media culture
  • media discourse
  • media events
  • media technology and religion
  • online religious media
  • religion representation
  • visual culture

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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31 pages, 615 KiB  
Article
The Promotion of Traditional Values through Films and Television Programmes: The Moscow Patriarchate and the Orthodox Encyclopaedia Project (2005–2022)
by Marianna Napolitano
Religions 2024, 15(2), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020247 - 18 Feb 2024
Viewed by 858
Abstract
On 26 May 2011, the Russian People’s World Council issued a document entitled The Basic Values: The Fundaments of National Unity. The document, prepared by the Synodal Department for Church–Society Cooperation, provided a catalogue of 17 traditional values whose general framework was [...] Read more.
On 26 May 2011, the Russian People’s World Council issued a document entitled The Basic Values: The Fundaments of National Unity. The document, prepared by the Synodal Department for Church–Society Cooperation, provided a catalogue of 17 traditional values whose general framework was constituted by a combination of freedom, unity, patriotism, family, and devotion. At that time, the Moscow Patriarchate considered religious faith to be the foundation of traditional values and it continues to do so. The defence and promotion of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values were also central in the Russian National Security Strategy (2015); this was the case in the updated version of this document as well, put out in July 2021. Furthermore, they have been the core of the Moscow Patriarchate’s participation in the Council of Europe and of Patriarch Kirill’s speeches about the war in Ukraine. Finally, on 9 November 2022, The Foundations Of State Policy For The Preservation Of Spiritual And Moral Values was approved. This framework permits us to understand the strict interplay between the Church and the State in the Russian Federation and to see why it is important to refer to the concept of post-secularism when talking about the role of religion in post-Soviet Russia. Proceeding from the Abstract, the present paper aims to analyse this interplay in a specific sector of visual culture: the cinema and television industries. Manuel Castells highlighted the relevance of cultural values in the age of information and the connection between the values and social mobilization that follows it. He pointed out that the Internet has become a way to render this connection predominant, inevitably leading to the development of social movements and networks that have a religious basis. This is unquestionably true; surveys conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (OJSC «VCIOM») and by Nevafilm Research confirm that a high percentage of Russians watch films not only at the cinema or on television (especially the older generations) but also on the Internet (as far as the younger generations are concerned). The importance of this market is also confirmed by the success of the cinema and TV distributor Orthodox Encyclopaedia (2005); in the words of the philosopher Sergei Kravets, who, commenting on it during an interview published in 2006 by the website Sedmits.ru, declared that the expression “orthodox cinema” can be understood as a way to express Russian culture. He asserts that “the fact that today Orthodox films have begun to appear on the central TV channels testifies that Russian film producers and viewers have apparently begun to be aware of themselves as Orthodox, to feel that they are bearers of a special Orthodox culture. [..]”. At the same time, consideration should be given to the importance of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Minister of Culture’s condemnation of films such as Matilda or Monastery. In addition, it is important to consider that, according to a survey conducted in 2022 by the Levada Center, Russian people consider television the most reliable source of information (54%). The long-term implications of this tendency may have very important effects, not only in terms of its objectives but also in terms of the consideration that, after the beginning of the war, many Western film distributors withdrew their licenses from Russia. This paper will analyse “the effect of religion on the institutional system, the regulatory environment of the media and the public sphere” by studying the features of films and TV programs distributed by Orthodox Encyclopaedia, their relations with traditional values promoted both by the Kremlin and the Church, how these have contributed to strengthening the interplay between the Minister of Culture and the Moscow Patriarchate, and the impact this process has had on Russian society and Russia’s relations with the European and Western World in the 2005–2022 period. A list of the films and TV programs being discussed will be provided, and then statements about the project and reviews of the serials and films will be analysed. The analysis will be conducted mainly through the official sites of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin and by browsing the Integrum database. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Filter Bubbles? The Influence of Religion on Mediated Public Sphere)
18 pages, 323 KiB  
Article
Tradition-Driven Religiosity on the Internet
by Márta Katalin Korpics, István József Béres and Anna Veronika Hommer
Religions 2023, 14(11), 1430; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14111430 - 16 Nov 2023
Viewed by 886
Abstract
The evolution of the media environment and the expanding use of social media pose a question about how the public sphere has changed in the last decade and what standards churches and religious communities can refer to in order to thrive and be [...] Read more.
The evolution of the media environment and the expanding use of social media pose a question about how the public sphere has changed in the last decade and what standards churches and religious communities can refer to in order to thrive and be present. It is vital to see that the nature of mass communication is different from the way religious ideas are conveyed. Consequently, there is a constant threat that, if mass media report on religions and religious activities, even with the greatest possible neutrality, they can easily falsify them. This paper sets out to explore this paradox; we examine the social media activity of a tradition-driven religious community. This research focuses on particular phenomena that lead to general assumptions. Despite the fact that the online reality is not the primary space of the researched community, its activity has moved towards cyber space because of the diminishing presence of interpersonal and group relationships. This paper analyses this community’s Facebook presence by applying quantitative and qualitative methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Filter Bubbles? The Influence of Religion on Mediated Public Sphere)
26 pages, 2176 KiB  
Article
A Brief Comparative Study between the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and the Romanian Orthodox Church regarding (Online) Religious Worship during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Agnos-Millian Herțeliu
Religions 2023, 14(11), 1353; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14111353 - 25 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1179
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed entire social levels. Organized religion is one of those levels, having suffered a lot due to the closing of churches and the automatic physical cessation of religious services. Both the weekly practitioners and those attending church minimally (say [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed entire social levels. Organized religion is one of those levels, having suffered a lot due to the closing of churches and the automatic physical cessation of religious services. Both the weekly practitioners and those attending church minimally (say at Easter and Christmas) felt the shock of the closing of the churches. As such, the online environment was the saving option during the pandemic. However, not all churches embraced the move of liturgical services to online from the start, and at the same time, not all churches had a rich history of using digital technologies or the Internet for religious purposes. In this context, I investigate how religious communities succeeded in dealing with the imposed governmental regulations on social distance. I follow the specific religious rituals that have suffered the most by moving liturgy online, rituals such as baptism, Eucharist, burial, etc. Because different Christian churches understand rituals and liturgical practices in different ways, I focus specifically on a succinct comparison between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the neo-Protestant environment, especially the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In addition, I briefly extend the comparison to Adventist communities from the diaspora—especially those from London, the United Kingdom. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Filter Bubbles? The Influence of Religion on Mediated Public Sphere)
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13 pages, 707 KiB  
Article
Caught in Narrative Patterns? Analysis of the Swiss News Coverage of Christians, Muslims, and Jews
by Carmen Koch and Angelica Hüsser
Religions 2023, 14(10), 1275; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14101275 - 10 Oct 2023
Viewed by 919
Abstract
The media coverage of religious communities can have an impact on society and contribute to the manifestation of certain images in society. Since recent surveys show social tensions concerning Muslims and Jews, it is important to monitor media coverage. In this study, we [...] Read more.
The media coverage of religious communities can have an impact on society and contribute to the manifestation of certain images in society. Since recent surveys show social tensions concerning Muslims and Jews, it is important to monitor media coverage. In this study, we investigate the images of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism in the news media. Theoretically, the approaches of framing and narrative patterns are used. The study was conducted in two steps. (1) Focus group discussions were held with members of the three religions, which showed, among other things, that all three religious groups do not feel adequately represented. (2) A quantitative content analysis of selected Swiss newspaper articles (online and print) was conducted. The results of the content analysis suggest that a different perspective is taken depending on the religious community: while Christianity is framed from an internal perspective, Judaism and Islam are framed from an external perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Filter Bubbles? The Influence of Religion on Mediated Public Sphere)
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14 pages, 285 KiB  
Article
Media, Religion, and the Public Sphere
by Coman Mihai
Religions 2023, 14(10), 1253; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14101253 - 02 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1522
Abstract
In the present study, I undertake to show that the public sphere can be constructed within the frames of a discourse loaded with religious symbols, either as part of religious institutions and manifestations, or, in a more interesting case, through the media discourse. [...] Read more.
In the present study, I undertake to show that the public sphere can be constructed within the frames of a discourse loaded with religious symbols, either as part of religious institutions and manifestations, or, in a more interesting case, through the media discourse. I want to show that media functions as a ritualizing agent, which builds symbolic spaces of action and thinking. Journalists accomplish this by presenting events as if they had pre-established and immutable order and meaning, set within a religious system. The ritualization of the journalistic performance and the mythologization of the representation of events are some of the strongest tools for promoting a representation of events in a language loaded with religious symbols and to outline a public sphere constructed in a religious frame. Thus, using a sacralizing language, media creates a religious public sphere, which function as a liminal, subjunctive framework: it is possible to assume that now a new type of public sphere, defined by a religious frame, is developed, in a social context and symbolical frame that are totally different to the usual circumstances of a religious experience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Filter Bubbles? The Influence of Religion on Mediated Public Sphere)
21 pages, 1068 KiB  
Article
The Discourse of Christianity in Viktor Orbán’s Rhetoric
by András Máté-Tóth and Zsófia Rakovics
Religions 2023, 14(8), 1035; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14081035 - 12 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1883
Abstract
This paper studies the views of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on religion and Christianity, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The analysis is based on Viktor Orbán’s speeches in Băile Tușnad, at Bálványos Free Summer University and Student Camp (commonly known as [...] Read more.
This paper studies the views of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on religion and Christianity, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The analysis is based on Viktor Orbán’s speeches in Băile Tușnad, at Bálványos Free Summer University and Student Camp (commonly known as Tusványos), which are suitable to sensitively trace the evolution of his thinking from 1990 to 2022. The analysis shows how the concept of Christianity has changed in meaning in the speeches, how it has been linked to political issues, and in what ways Orbán’s thinking has been similar to and different from political Christianity and religious Christianity. Orbán’s concept of Christianity can be understood within the theoretical framework of populism developed by Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe: in the discursive struggle for political hegemony, there is a continuous construction of ‘the people’, of society, in which ‘empty markers’ play a key role. Orbán’s concept of Christianity can thus be adequately interpreted in terms of the discourse of the permanent creation of the ‘nation’. The political emphasis on Christianity is related to the wounded collective identity of Hungarian society. The paper argues that because of the collective woundedness, society requires an overarching narrative symbolizing unity, of which Christianity is a key concept. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Filter Bubbles? The Influence of Religion on Mediated Public Sphere)
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Review

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18 pages, 338 KiB  
Review
Religious Filter Bubbles on Digital Public Sphere
by Mónika Andok
Religions 2023, 14(11), 1359; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14111359 - 27 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1141
Abstract
The aim of the study is to present the online processes related to religious phenomena appearing on digital platforms, primarily the practice of content filtering (gatekeeping, echo chamber, filter bubble), and a critical review of the scientific literature on the field. At the [...] Read more.
The aim of the study is to present the online processes related to religious phenomena appearing on digital platforms, primarily the practice of content filtering (gatekeeping, echo chamber, filter bubble), and a critical review of the scientific literature on the field. At the same time, the goal is to create a theoretical introduction to the special issue and a comprehensive examination of the scientific context. For the first time, the study shows that, in terms of media content, filtering can appear from two directions. One is the selections from different events by professional journalists during content creation. The media theoretical literature refers to this aspect as the phenomenon of gatekeeping. Filtering in the other direction takes place on the part of the receivers, who choose from among the available media contents. This phenomenon has already been described by several media scholars, with the concept of selective exposure (Klapper), Daily Me (Negroponte), echo chamber (Sunstein) or filter bubble (Pariser). Focusing on the phenomenon of the filter bubble, the study presents this theory, its criticism and its relevance to religious content and religious communities. The second part of the study focuses on religious filter bubbles and presents the related investigations so far. It analyses in detail the document published by the Catholic Church on 28 May 2023, entitled Towards Full Presence, Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media. During the detailed analytical presentation of the text, the study covers how the opportunities and dangers of network communication and the use of social media appear (including the filter bubble) and what solutions the Catholic Church proposes in this regard. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Filter Bubbles? The Influence of Religion on Mediated Public Sphere)

Other

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10 pages, 264 KiB  
Essay
On the Relation of Public Opinion and Religion: Theoretical Considerations
by Zoltán Hidas
Religions 2023, 14(12), 1473; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14121473 - 28 Nov 2023
Viewed by 703
Abstract
Facing the modern expectations about publicity and the high esteem of public opinion, it can be challenging to disclose the sources of these expectations. After sketching the origin of the idea and reality of publicity from the 18th century onward, practical and theoretical [...] Read more.
Facing the modern expectations about publicity and the high esteem of public opinion, it can be challenging to disclose the sources of these expectations. After sketching the origin of the idea and reality of publicity from the 18th century onward, practical and theoretical concerns about public opinion are discussed alongside the criticism of Walter Lippmann, evoking seminal conceptions of collectivity and of the crowd. It was the German philosopher Ferdinand Tönnies who, from a sociologically informed perspective, systematically analyzed the idea of public opinion. As a stakeholder of religious demands, public opinion is a metaphysical instance. Publicity seems to be socially centered around public intellectuals peculiarly legitimized by scientific knowledge, who have an immense influence on the shape of public opinion through social imagineries (Charles Taylor). The challenge of having a religious relationship with the world has changed due to the public, but self-transcendent need specific responsibilities even in modern circumstances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Filter Bubbles? The Influence of Religion on Mediated Public Sphere)
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