CHURCH TASKS MEDIA ON YOUTH MORALITY AS SOCIAL VALUES COME UNDER PRESSURE

Diocese of Ma’di and West Nile Logo (Courtesy)

By Martin Anguyo

Arua City

The Diocese of Ma’di and West Nile has challenged the media to step up its role in shaping the moral direction of young people, as concerns mount over the erosion of social and religious values.

Church leaders say the media, with its growing influence over public opinion and young people’s attitudes, cannot afford to remain on the limits of the debate on morality.

They want journalists to use their platforms not only to expose social problems but also to promote messages that encourage responsible living, faith and positive citizenship.

The call was made during the launch of the Diocesan Youth Week at Anyavu Parish in Logiri Archdeaconry.

The Parish Priest of Anyavu, Reverend Alio Amos, appealed to media practitioners to deliberately promote messages that encourage young people to return to God and uphold values that strengthen families and communities.

“The church should go to the people to preach the gospel and we have found out that the media is actually the center of all these. We have many ways of preaching the gospel and this can be through radio, TV and even on online platforms” he said.

The challenge places the media at the center of a wider conversation about the influence of information and entertainment on young people. With digital platforms increasingly shaping how the youth consume information, Church leaders argue that responsible journalism and constructive programming can help counter negative influences.

The Archdeacon of Logiri Archdeaconry, Venerable Canon Aggrey Titus Patrick, described the media as a critical channel for connecting communities, saying it provides a platform through which citizens can raise concerns, exchange ideas and engage institutions on issues affecting their lives.

“The media plays a lot of role in nurturing and transforming the community and also strengthen families” Aggrey said.

But the concerns surrounding the youth extend beyond morality.

Health professional Perry Lucas Okuda urged the media to make education a central part of its public-interest agenda, arguing that an informed population is better placed to confront the social and economic challenges facing the region.

“Media, it’s real important for you to encourage young people to return to school and also encourage parents to be responsible” she said.

For journalists, the appeal also presents an opportunity to strengthen collaboration with institutions that work directly with communities.

Sabir Musa, Secretary of the Arua City Journalists Association, welcomed the Church’s call for closer cooperation, saying partnerships between the media and faith-based institutions can help amplify messages aimed at empowering young people and addressing community concerns.

“Media plays a very key role and the big thing is collaboration between the media and church leaders and even the mosques to ensure that the young people get the message straight” he said.

The debate comes at a time when young people are navigating competing influences from religion, family, education, popular culture and social media.

While the Church remains a major source of moral and spiritual guidance, the media has the reach to take such conversations beyond the walls of religious institutions and into homes, schools and communities.

The challenge, therefore, is not simply for the media to report on youth problems, but to contribute meaningfully to solutions — through credible information, public education, responsible storytelling and platforms that give young people a voice.

The Diocesan Youth Weeks and Conventions of the Church of Uganda are periodic gatherings organized by individual dioceses to bring young people together for worship, fellowship, mentorship and guidance.

For the Diocese of Ma’di and West Nile, the engagement with the media signals an attempt to make youth formation a broader community responsibility — one in which the Church, journalists, parents, educators and young people themselves all have a role to play.