Phew. We can finally put 2020 in the rearview mirror.
The coronavirus pandemic, political vitriol, and tensions between police departments and people of color are just a few of the difficult challenges we faced collectively. And with nearly 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. alone through mid-December, we all know a family affected by
the pandemic.
In mid-March, the Catholic Review staff switched to a nearly all-virtual operation. Some positions have to go into the office, or, in the case of Kevin J. Parks, visual journalist, who has to go where the story is.
We have an amazing staff that adapted quickly – as everyone did – to a “new normal,” in which we replaced meetings around a conference table with videoconferences.
Despite the restrictions, we accomplished a lot this year. Some of the highlights from a “review of the Review”:
In July, we launched a new website at catholicreview.org. The new design focuses more on news, is easier to navigate and is updated daily with fresh content.
You’ll find a new link on the website’s menu to CR Radio, our radio show that hit the airwaves in July. We lost our spot for “Catholic Baltimore” on a Baltimore AM station, but found a new home at WMET 1160 AM and two parish low-power FM stations for a revamped “Catholic Review Radio.”
The weekly show features interviews and news. In the past, we provided segments to the radio station for final production. We now produce the entire show ourselves. It’s been challenging since almost all our interviews are remote now. George Matysek Jr. even does some of his interviews in his “sound studio” – his car, which keeps the noise of his five young children from reaching the microphone. We use phone apps or specialized web portals to record interviews, no matter the distance.
Our twice-weekly e-newsletter grew a lot this year, with the number of recipients more than tripling since January. It’s easy to stay informed about the latest news and commentary – sign up by texting CRMEDIA to 84576.
The staff was recognized for its work, winning 63 combined awards from the Catholic Press Association of the U.S. and Canada, the Associated Church Press and the Maryland–Delaware-D.C. Press Association. For the second year in a row, the Catholic Review was recognized as News Organization of the Year for large non–dailies by the MDDC Press Association.
For some things, we just had to be there in person. For example, at the episcopal ordination of Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., we had two photographers and three reporters on hand in a cathedral with limited attendance due to restrictions. Two of those five were freelance workers. Without contractual reporters, our presence in the field in recent months would just not have been the same.
All the while, we kept the magazine, website and e-newsletter running with a reduced staff. Along the way, we enrolled in a 14-week program sponsored by the Catholic Press Association to refine our workflow and learn new ways of adapting to the way people consume information.
As we begin 2021, we look forward to sharing the stories of the archdiocese with our readers. Among the most important of those will be how our parishes and schools continue to help people who are struggling, and the impact coronavirus vaccines will have on bringing people back to Mass and other parish and school activities.
Mother Mary Lange Catholic School, a beautiful new facility on Martin Luther King Boulevard, will open in September, and we hope to be there as students fill the halls and classrooms there and at our other campuses.
To those who have had the fortune of adapting to working at home, it’s no surprise that in many ways this year has been busier than ever. Perhaps in 2021, we can breathe a little easier, and eventually get back to regularly visiting parishes, schools and fellow Catholics.
In the meantime, wash your hands, wear a mask and get a vaccine when you can.
Email Christopher Gunty at editor@CatholicReview.org
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