May 2, 2002

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information, Contact:
Bud Bunce (503) 233-8373
bbunce@archdpdx.org

CATHOLICS JOIN TO RENEW THE MIND OF THE MEDIA

        Catholics in the Archdiocese of Portland will have an opportunity to join Catholics
across the United States in pledging to renew the mind of the media on Sunday, May
19th. This is the third year of a five year campaign by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops. The campaign follows the publication of the document "Renewing the Mind of
the Media" in 1998. The purpose of the campaign is "to alert Catholics that their
bishops are 'in solidarity with them on the issue of the harmful influence of some media
on families and young people and to affirm that together we can act to change that
situation'."

        In 2001, more than 68,000 Catholics supported the pledge, signing it in their
parishes. In addition to the pledge to be published in parish bulletins, a resource kit has
been sent to parishes, including materials for educators, liturgists, parish leaders and
families. Materials from the parish resource kit are also available on the Renewing the
Mind of the Media web page www.renewingmedia.org.

        The 2002 Renewing the Mind of the Media pledge reads:
We, the Catholic people of the United States, united in our families,
parishes, an dioceses, pledge to work together to encourage media
leaders to act responsibly, to make room for voices they have neglected --
- especially that of the religious community --- and to eliminate anything
that diminishes our appreciation of God's image in his creation. We urge
our government authorities and those who make advertising decisions to
use their influence with the media so that they will strive to serve the
common good and not only their own interests. We pledge to reject
media that produce immoral content and demean the dignity of the
human person.

Additional activities or actions that individuals and families can choose:

> Talk with my family to make sure our usage of the media is responsible.

>  Familiarize myself with media ownership both locally and nationally.

>  Complain to corporations and businesses that profit from distributing
objectionable programming.

>  Submit comments to my local broadcast outlets for their license-renewal about
whether they are acting in the interests of the whole community.

>  Contact at least one advertiser who sponsors commendable programming and
one who sponsors objectionable programming, and ask them to continue or to
withdraw their support, respectively.

>  Challenge video stores and hotels/motels that distribute X-rated material.

>  Use reliable sources (such as the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Film and Broadcasting
Office's movie review line, 800-311-4CCC, or the bishops' Internet site,
www.usccb.org) to decide which movies and television programs to watch.

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