False messiah Schneerson on using the media: '...news about U.S. President Eisenhower or Secretary of State Dulles – even when you write news about these topics, you should think about how to write it in a way that strengthens Judaism'
The role of the media in the era of Liberation
By Sholem Lugov
July 10, 2023
The head of our generation - the Lubavitcher Rebbe SHLITA King Moshiach - gives instructions in all matters of the private life of people, as well as in general matters relating to the people of Israel and the whole world. In this way, you can get his opinion on issues of security, health, economics, etc. Also on the topic of the media in the Rebbe's conversations, you can find a lot of information for journalists and newspaper staff.
One journalist named Moti Eden, former CEO of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and later a reporter for the Voice of Israel radio station, came to 770 in 1991 to meet the Rebbe in person and even recorded the conversation on a tape recorder.
During this meeting, the Rebbe offered original ideas for promoting Jewish values through the media. Despite the fact that many years have passed since this meeting, the Rebbe's clear and precise words are still relevant today.
After long minutes in which the Rebbe explained to Moti Eden that the role of the media is to bring the words of G-d to the general public, the journalist asked how information could be turned into news.
The Rebbe answered him that in the Torah, which is an indication for our life and guidance on the path of life, there is a commandment that the words of the Torah should be as new every day as they were on the day the Torah was given ... After that, the Rebbe added that since Moti Eden works in radio, surely he can find a way to connect this idea with the news that actually happened in this physical and material world, and at the end of the transmission say that it follows with all obviousness that the proclamation " Listen, Israel! G-d, our Almighty, G-d is one” applies to all Jews even in the 20th century, even to those who speak and understand only English, and even to those who live in an anti-religious kibbutz.
The same goes for the journalist Alter Welner of the Tsofe newspaper, who came to an audience with the Rebbe in 1958. The Rebbe told him that the newspaper could be made in such a way as to realize service to the Almighty. The newspaper must be published in such a way that it will be a source of strength for the strengthening of Judaism among the people of Israel, otherwise there is no need for the existence of this newspaper.
“I understand about the newspaper in general,” the journalist said, “but what about the news?” To this question, the Rebbe replied: “Regarding the writing of news, the question arises: what is it for and what is it used for? Just news, it makes no sense, but if the news is used to strengthen Judaism, then it can be written, because the newspaper itself usually does not have the goal of serving the Almighty, but quite the contrary ... and the only excuse that the newspaper has, and also some of the news in it is when it is used in a way that leads to the strengthening of Judaism.
To illustrate his point, the Rebbe added: “I also mean news about US President Eisenhower or Secretary of State Dulles – even when you write news about these topics, you should think about how to write it in a way that strengthens Judaism and how can one make this news an instrument for serving the Creator.”
I would like to end this article with the words of the Rebbe from a conversation on Saturday with the head of Nitzavim: “And in particular, according to the well-known statement of our heads of Chabad regarding the publication of announcements of the arrival of Moshiach in the newspapers, as has been done in practice in the literal sense recently, when in it has been reported in several newspapers around the world that ‘here he (King Moshiach) is coming’ – and we should spread it even more.”