We never stop learning, do we? In the Catholic journalism world, that’s a good thing. The media world changes day by day, sometimes moment by moment, so the lessons I learned when I started in the Catholic press more than 40 years ago have been surpassed many times over.
However, the underlying principles of our work in Catholic journalism have not changed. We still seek to inform and educate our readers. That’s the sentiment behind the new tagline, “Real life. Real faith,” that Catholic Review Media adopted last year.
In his “Regina Coeli” prayer May 21 at the Vatican, Pope Francis acknowledged World Communications Day. In St. Peter’s Square, he said: “I greet the journalists, communication professionals, thanking them for their work. And I hope that they might always work at the service of the truth and for the common good,” he said.
Many who work in Catholic media will descend on Baltimore in early June for Catholic Media Conference 2023; a virtual option is also available for those who cannot make the journey to the Premiere See.
Attendees will hear keynote talks from Minnesota Bishop Andrew Cozzens about the U.S. bishops’ Eucharistic Revival Project, now entering its second year, and Daughter of St. Paul Sister Rose Pacatte on “Evangelization in a Digital Age.” Many and varied workshops will address editorial, business, digital media and communications tracks.
While we strive to do the work to which the pope calls us, Catholic media face a number of pressures. Several of the best Catholic publications in the country have shuttered recently. It’s a shame that the personnel of these publications no longer have a home. Even worse is that their former readers have no recourse to quality Catholic news.
In a column for OSV News, Greg Erlandson, former director and editor in chief of Catholic News Service, which closed its domestic operations at the end of 2022, said, “There are many threats facing the church, from ersatz diocesan news efforts that are really fronts for partisan political agendas, to a stressed secular media that has a shrinking number of journalists, especially religion journalists.”
He added that the polarization that infects both church and state makes it harder for a Catholic voice to be heard unless it is found to be ideologically agreeable.
“Whether it’s ‘culture wars’ or just ‘culture confusion,’ Catholics often find themselves on the front lines but disarmed, lacking both information and formation,” Erlandson said.
Research done for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and Catholic Review Media by an outside firm in late 2021 showed that three-quarters of respondents would read the Catholic Review less or significantly less if there were no print edition. Fortunately, Archbishop William E. Lori sees the need for our magazine and other endeavors – on the web, social media, radio and more. In a September 2022 message announcing the reimagining of Catholic Review Media, he said, “The Archdiocese of Baltimore fully supports the Catholic press and firmly believes we should not be dependent on others to tell the news and stories of our faith, but that we remain at the forefront and continue to be an accurate source for our faithful and beyond.”
In this way, rather than face the culture wars disarmed, Catholics in the archdiocese have access to the news they need to be informed and formed.
We hope the Catholic media personnel who come to Charm City this month will find the support they need to continue this important work. And that we never stop learning.
Email Christopher Gunty at editor@CatholicReview.org
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