Thousands set to 'fast' from media violence October 12

Idea exchange
October 10, 2008

People from multiple faith traditions are pledging to refrain from watching violence as entertainment during an upcoming week-long "media violence fast," October 12 - 18.

Sponsored by the 1.2-million-member United Church of Christ (UCC) and the Chicago-based Rainbow/PUSH, the campaign is encouraging participants to sign a statement saying they will "take a stand against violent media by making a conscious decision not to watch it."

Now in its second year, the media violence fast is being promoted in partnership with the nation's Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the YWCA's "Week without Violence."

"For this one week, starting Sunday, we are asking people to seek other forms of programming and intellectual stimulation, and to reflect on what it means to purposefully distance oneself from violence as entertainment," said the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, executive director of the UCC's Office of Communication, Inc., the denomination's media justice organization.

Those who sign the online non-violence pledge at <ucc.org/media-violence> will receive daily e-mail devotions/meditations during the week for use individually or with family members or faith groups. Participants will also be encouraged to offer their own reflections and feedback in a group forum.

It is expected that at least 5,000 people will participate in the fast, Guess said.

According to information on the campaign website, the average U.S. child will witness 200,000 acts of violence on television, including 40,000 murders, before reaching the age of 18. The National Television Violence Survey, which conducted a three-year analysis of TV programming, reported that 60 percent of TV shows contain violence.

"This is not about censorship," Guess said. "Instead, we want people to pause and consider how the saturation of violence on our TV screens also affects our spiritual lives, our relationships with others, how we see the world and how we promote peace as a religious value, starting with our remote controls."

Created in 1959, the United Church of Christ's "OC, Inc" has been a leader in advocating for the public interest in the media before the Federal Communications Commission and the federal courts. Both the UCC and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition are members of the Smart Television Alliance — a coalition of national non-profit groups committed to improving what children see on television.

Learn more at: ucc.org/media-justice

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