Reaching Young Adults Through the Media

1
Reaching Young Adults Through the Media

• Mike Hayes
• BustedHalo.com

2
Who is the audience?

• ALL young adults (people 18-39, married and
  single).
• Gen x (born 1964-1980 roughly)
• Millennials (born after 1980 but at least 18.)
• WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PREACH TO THE CHOIR!
  EVANGELIZATION.

3
Classifications

• Best attempt The Bacik/Reese Model- Eclipsed
  Im too busy for church- Private seriously
  searching but separate from community/ritual/
  traditional wisdom- Ecumenical- Divisions make
  no sense - Evangelical charismatic worship
  and praise Catholic Fundamentalists- Prophetic
  work for justice and peace.- Communal social
  events in YAM- Sacramental I love
  liturgy/ritual

4
Other tendencies

• Adherence to a loose spirituality or an
  extreme spirituality
• Less commitment/affiliation to parish life
  attracted to movements (Gen X) or
  individualistic practice (Millennial). Still a
  strong commitment to being Catholic.
• Opportunity to give sound-byte answers (with
  opportunities to get more information) and then
  lead them through discernment.

5
Our Reasearch Found

• Personality Driven concept 50 (blog
  forerunner)
• Information and get out quickly 89
• Result
• Virtual catechism (Faith guides)
• Emagazine
• The genesis of the name
• Advertising The onion, tickle

6
Top 10 things to keep in Mind

• Information Overload
• Un-catechized, un-churched DaVinci Code Example
• Pre-evangelization
• Comfortable with the internet often the only
  place they look for info.
• Marketing Go where you think you shouldnt go,
  do what you think you shouldnt do.

7
Must be unafraid to tackle hot button issues

• Sex
• Controversial figures
• Moral Dilemmas

8
Know the difference between Debate Catechesis

• Discussion Board early mistakes
• Spiritual Smackdown
• Question Box
• Nostalgic Postmodernity
• The Media must address polarization

9
Blogs

• Mindless rants
• News service (somewhat stiltedthink Rush
  Limbaugh)
• -short and to the point
• -with personality
• Diaries

10
Podcasting

• Short radio programs downloaded into an mp3
  player (ipod).
• Why podcast?
• -short form radio
• -morning commute, gym, free moment
• -meditative (pray-as-you-go.org)
• -intimacy of radio conveninece
• -quick messages for easy consumption

11
Helpful Blogs/Podcasts

• Blogs
• -Open Book
• -Whispers in the loggia
• -Commonweal
• -Googling God
• -You Duped me, Lord
• -Spiritual Smackdown

• Podcasts
• -BustedHalo Cast
• -Catholic Insider
• -Heart, Mind and Strength
• -pray-as-you-go

12
Web Magazines

• BustedHalo.com
• Godspy.com
• Beliefnet.com