In 2019, heated discussions on social networks were sparked when Netflix’s teen Spanish drama “Elite” featured a scene where the character of Nadia removes her hijab.
Now, the Global Faith and Entertainment Study has revealed that audiences are demanding more accurate representations of religions in television shows and movies.
The study was based on an online survey of almost 10,000 entertainment consumers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Turkey, India, Japan and Nigeria, as well as 30 in-depth interviews with industry leaders.
Globally, 63% of those interviewed believe that entertainment media perpetuates religious stereotypes. This fatigue with one-note storylines is shared by audiences of diverse religious convictions, with Buddhists (63%) being the most critical.
In the interest of greater accuracy, 80% of those surveyed highlighted the importance of an improvement in onscreen representation of faiths. This call for authenticity is particularly strong in Brazil (94%), Nigeria (93%), India (91%), Mexico (82%) and the US (82%).
Viewers are in quest of diversity, with 68% wanting more diverse perspectives on various faiths – a desire even more pronounced in Brazil (91%), Nigeria (84%) and India (83%).
On the plus side, close to six out of 10 viewers (59%) claim to have learnt something new about another religion thanks to a film or series. This finding is shared by countries categorised as having high proportions of faithful residents (73%).
According to the findings, viewers are looking for a better understanding of people whose beliefs differ from their own. “Respondents in all countries agree that accurate portrayal of religion is crucial to foster global understanding,” the report outlines.
In fact, around 40% of those surveyed believe that such representation is essential for fostering understanding and dispelling stereotypes.
While young people would like to see more friendship and less sex on TV, faith and religiosity rank sixth among the subjects most requested by viewers, according to the study. Religion is 13th on the list of themes most present in TV shows and films.