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paperback $10.00 55-minute video $10.00 This 98-page report describes a conference held at The Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia in April 1994. Fifteen panelists from around the world came together to discuss the effect of commercial consumer-oriented television on the major world religions and the possibilities which the information superhighway hold for the future. They were joined by another fifteen invited guests to expand the dialogue. The conference grew out of the conviction that the worlds of media leaders and religion tend to be totally separate, yet each could learn and benefit from an ongoing conversation. Representatives from communication schools in different parts of the world comprised a third element of the conference since they provide training and influence future media leaders. The report consists of a brief summary of the conference and recommendations for action. The bulk of the report is devoted to statements written prior to the conference by participants giving their views of contemporary and future relationships between western commercial television and spiritual and religious values. Conference Participants PANELISTS Religion Swami Agnivesh, Chairperson, United Nations Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery; General Secretary, Arya Samaj, an activist Hindu reform movement, New Delhi, India - Hinduism Dr. Azizah Y. al-Hibri, Associate Professor of Law, The T. C. Williams School of Law, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA - Islam Rabbi Michael Paley, Chaplain, Columbia University, New York, NY - Judaism Sulak Sivaraksa, Founder, International Network of Engaged Buddhists, Bangkok, Thailand - Buddhism Dr. Michael Traber, Director of Studies and Publications, World Association for Christian Communication, London, England - Christianity Communication Schools Dr. James Carey, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University, New York, NY Dr. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Dean, The Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA Dr. Jose Marques de Melo, School of Communications and Arts, Comparative Journalism Research Center, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil Dr. William Melody, Director, Centre for International Research on Communication and Information Technologies, Melbourne, Australia Dr. Annabelle Sreberny-Mohammadi, Director, Centre for Mass Communication Research, University of Leicester, Leicester, England Television Judith R. James, Producer, Dreyfuss-James Productions, Warner/Hollywood Studios, West Hollywood, CA Norman Lear, Producer, Act III Communications, Los Angeles, CA J. Patrick Michaels, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Communications Equity Associates, Tampa, FL Jeffrey C. Reiss, Chairman and CEO, Reiss Media Enterprises, Denver, CO John Sie, Chairman and CEO, Encore Entertainment, Denver, CO INVITED GUESTS St. Clair Bourne, Writer, Producer, Director, The Chamba Organization, New York, NY Diana L. Eck, Professor, Comparative Religion and Indian Studies, and Director, Pluralism Project, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA George Dessart, Center for the Study of World Television, New York, NY Rev. George Exoo, Religion Critic, WQED-FM, Pittsburgh, PA William Fore, former Executive Director, Broadcasting and Film Commission, National Council of Churches, Madison, CT Gregor Goethals, Professor, Art History, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI Riffat Hassan, Professor, Religious Studies, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY Kathryn C. Montgomery, Co-Founder and President, Center for Media Education, Washington, DC David Nostbakken, Executive Director, International Broadcast Development, IDRC, Ottawa, Canada Charles Oliver, Telecommunications Attorney, Cohn and Marks, Washington, DC Yale Roe, Chairman, Yale Roe Films, New York, NY Susan Rook, Co-Anchor, CNN News, Atlanta, GA Donald Shriver, President Emeritus, Union Theological Seminary; Senior Fellow, Freedom Forum, New York, NY Tran Van Dinh, Emeritus Professor, Communications and Political Science, Temple University; now living in Washington, DC Jeff Weber, Executive Vice President, Programming and Operations Director, Faith and Values Network (VISN), New York, NY BIOGRAPHIES AND STATEMENTS All participants were asked to send their bios and invited to submit statements giving their views of contemporary and future relationships between western commercial television and spiritual and religious values. Nearly all responded, expressing deeply felt convictions. The statements represent a brief, unique treasury of eastern and western philosophies of life, secular and religious, which not only laid the foundation for the conference dialog but constitute a collection of rewarding insights of intrinsic interest in themselves. We include them here. ©Copyright, Waymark Press, 2003 Site Design: Big Dog Site Maintenance & Design