The Role of Indonesian Church Journalists in the Viralization of God’s Kingdom in the Digital Era

By: Dharma Leksana, S.Th., M.Si. – Chairman of the Indonesian Church Journalists Association (PWGI)

Teologi.digital – Jakarta, Indonesia – In the bustling digital information landscape, the concept of “virality” has become a dominant force in spreading ideas. For the Church, this phenomenon presents a unique opportunity to realize its noble mission: spreading the good news of God’s Kingdom. In the Indonesian context, the Indonesian Church Journalists Association (Perkumpulan Wartawan Gereja Indonesia – PWGI) stands at the forefront, leveraging the potential of virality for Marturia (witnessing) in the digital age.

Understanding Virality: From Definition to Content Strategy

What exactly is “viral”? This term describes content or information that spreads very quickly and widely across digital media, reaching millions of eyes in a short period. Simply put, viral content is content that becomes highly popular and is widely shared by internet users.

The history of virality is inseparable from the development of the internet and social media. Previously, mass information dissemination required conventional print or electronic media. Now, with platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, every individual has the potential to become an information disseminator. Content can go viral for various reasons: uniqueness, humor, emotional relevance, controversial issues, or even sheer coincidence.

Characteristics of viral news include:

• Rapid and wide spread: Reaching a large audience in hours or days.
• High appeal: Possessing elements that trigger curiosity, emotion, or laughter.
• Potential for hot discussion: Encouraging discussion and interaction among users.
• Diverse content types: Can be videos, images, text, memes, or even online challenges.
• Widespread impact: Capable of influencing public opinion or even social behavior.

Creating viral content isn’t an exact science, but several content strategies can increase its chances:

• Originality and Creativity: Offer something new or a fresh perspective.
• Emotional Relevance: Create content that touches hearts, sparks laughter, or evokes empathy.
• Visual and Audio Quality: Ensure the content looks appealing and sounds clear.
• Concise and Engaging Format: In a fast-paced era, short and dense content is easier to consume.
• Call to Action: Encourage the audience to share, comment, or participate.
• Leverage Trends: Follow popular trends and link them to the message you want to convey.

The Phenomenon of Virality in Digital Media: A Double-Edged Sword

The phenomenon of virality in digital media is an unavoidable reality. Content spreads like wildfire across a dry grassland, driven by platform algorithms and shared by billions of users. The factors influencing virality are complex, involving:

• Content Appeal: Visually captivating, humorous, or strongly narrated content.
• Social Media Platforms: Each platform has different dissemination dynamics.
• User Engagement: Users’ willingness to share or interact.
• Social Media Algorithms: Intelligent systems that determine which content gets prioritized.
• Current Trends and Events: Content aligned with hot topics tends to spread more easily.

However, virality is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can be a powerful tool for spreading positive information, raising awareness about social issues, or promoting good values. On the other hand, virality is also susceptible to misuse for spreading hoaxes, hate speech, misinformation, or other negative content that can harm individuals and communities. Viral news examples like funny videos or memes can be entertaining, but controversial articles or hoaxes can be divisive.

Therefore, digital literacy is crucial. The ability to distinguish facts from hoaxes, understand how algorithms work, think critically about received information, and act responsibly when sharing content, are key to navigating this phenomenon wisely.

The Role of Church Journalists in the Viralization Movement of God’s Kingdom in the Digital Age

This is where the role of Indonesian Church Journalists becomes highly strategic. PWGI, with its strong theological foundation from Luke 1:1-3 and the Great Commission of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-18), has a mission to “build the Kingdom of God through Journalism” in the digital age. They are not merely news deliverers but rather ministers of the Word who record and proclaim “the signs of the Kingdom of God.”

In the context of virality, Church Journalists are tasked with:

• Producing Quality and Relevant Content: Developing journalistic content that is not only informative but also inspiring and relevant to the values of God’s Kingdom. This can include articles, videos, infographics, or podcasts about Christ’s love, peace, justice, or salvation work.
• Presenting Positive Christian Spirituality: Being “salt and light” in a diverse and often negative online world. They present authentic, edifying, and hopeful Christian narratives, countering destructive or unethical content.
• Utilizing Digital Media Networks: With approximately 100 “sideline” online media outlets such as wartagereja.co.id and its network, PWGI has a vast platform to systematically publish church activities and Gospel messages. This enables even smaller churches to have effective publication means.
• Building Digital Literacy for Congregants: Educating congregants about the importance of digital literacy so they can filter information, avoid hoaxes, and become agents of truth dissemination on social media.
• Integrating Journalism with Marturia: Translating the calling of Marturia into a professional journalistic format, in accordance with the principles of Indonesian Law No. 40 of 1999 concerning the Press. They ensure that every piece of news is a responsible witness.
• Developing Professional Human Resources (HR): Through the Program 1 Church 2 Christian Journalists (1G2W), PWGI invests in training competent church journalists. This is a concrete step to ensure there are enough skilled personnel capable of producing quality news releases about “Signs of the Kingdom of God in the Digital Era.”

The Relevance of Viralizing God’s Kingdom with PWGI’s Vision and Mission

PWGI’s vision and mission are inherently connected to the potential of virality in realizing God’s Kingdom. The PWGI Declaration clearly states their purpose: “to take part in building the Kingdom of God through Journalism in the digital era.”

• Proclamation (Kerygma): The Great Commission of Christ to “preach the Gospel to all creation” finds new relevance in the digital age. Virality allows the Gospel message to reach “every creature” instantly, transcending geographical boundaries. Church Journalists become “ministers of the Word” who record news about salvation events.
• Witnessing (Marturia): PWGI aims to present “Signs of the Kingdom of God as Kerygma.” Viral content about Christ’s love, church ministry, or Gospel values effectively becomes a massive public witness. The 1G2W Program is proof of their commitment to ensuring every church can actively participate in “influencing” the public with positive church information.
• Journalistic Professionalism: PWGI emphasizes the importance of professional and competent human resources. This is crucial for the message of God’s Kingdom to be delivered with credibility and ethics, distinguishing it from unverified or even misleading content. Professional content is more likely to go viral positively.
• Collaboration and Networking: PWGI builds a platform for churches to publish activities through their online media network. This is a smart strategy to create a coordinated virality ecosystem, where positive content from various churches can reinforce each other and reach a wider audience.

The phenomenon of virality in the digital age is an undeniable reality. For the Church, it is a new mission field full of challenges and opportunities. The Indonesian Church Journalists Association (PWGI), with its clear vision and mission and commitment to professional journalism, is uniquely positioned to direct the power of virality for divine purposes. By producing quality, relevant content and proclaiming “the Signs of the Kingdom of God,” they are not only disseminating information but also actively building and viralizing the message of Christ’s love and peace across the vast digital realm. This is a concrete step in translating missiology into the calling of Marturia in this interconnected era.