Viewers in the US are bombarded with nonsense masquerading as fact. They should switch to AtheistTV, says its founder

(Image: Andrzej Krauze)

DID aliens build the pyramids? Can psychics contact the dead? Are ghosts real? For anyone with a grasp of critical thinking, the reply might be a chuckle, followed by: “Wait. You’re not serious?”

Unfortunately, a lot of people are serious. In the US these questions have all been explored by TV channels including History, The Travel Channel and TLC (previously The Learning Channel). Despite their often ridiculous programmes, these channels and others seem happy to present themselves as sources of non-fiction content, and seem to have no problem with the public regarding them as such.

Is it any wonder that more than seven in 10 people in the US believe in miracles? Or that fewer than half accept evolution?


While one could argue that such shows are popular simply for their entertainment value, statistics suggest that this may be giving viewers too much credit: a poll commissioned by National Geographic in 2012 showed that 77 per cent of people in the US believe there are signs that aliens have visited Earth.

Telling apart sensationalised content from sensational content isn’t always easy. Quebec, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Flemish Belgium and Greece all have various bans on television advertising aimed at children, as studies suggest they cannot differentiate between adverts and programming. A similar lack of critical thinking is arguably leading people of all ages to fail to distinguish science fiction from science fact. We clearly have a lot of work to do.

That’s where AtheistTV comes in. The organisation I head, American Atheists, launched the channel in July. It is the world’s first TV channel dedicated to atheist-friendly content: everything on it, unless clearly presented as fiction, is guaranteed never to blur the line between fantasy and reality. Content includes documentaries, speeches from atheist conventions and rallies, stand-up comedy, a talk show called The Atheist Viewpoint and much more. And this is only the beginning. AtheistTV will soon carry original programming.

AtheistTV is aimed at all non-believers, whether they call themselves atheist, agnostic, secular humanist or just curious. With it, we plan to get a level of public recognition for atheism and atheists that the US has lacked. Viewer numbers have already rocketed past our highest expectations.

There are so many things to learn in the real world that even a hundred lifetimes isn’t enough to explore them all. We don’t need to make things up. What makes the truth beautiful and wonderful is that it’s true. I think that’s magnificent, and more worthy of attention than any gods, ghosts, psychics or aliens could ever be.

This article appeared in print under the headline “Reality TV”