Religion and the mass media in Malta

Abstract

There are several valid approaches one can take in dealing with the subject of this dissertation. One can study the history of religious programmes and religious papers and periodicals on the Island. Alternatively, one can try to find out what treatment religion was given by the media in a particular point on time. This dissertation is nearer to the second option. It aims at investigating the way the electronic and print media dealt with religion in the months of August and September 19760 Those months were chosen because this was the peak period of the electoral campaign. So this dissertation deliberately deals almost exclusively with the place the media attributed to religion during the political campaign. The references made to religion during the political campaign were grouped together under three headings: 'structures', 'persons' and 'values' in an attempt to arrive at the "type of religionity" or ''type of theology" which animated communications.