What Is The Future Of Catholic Journalism: “Online”? No, It’s “God’s Hello & Man’s Heart & Hope”!

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Unhappily, “What Is The Future Of Catholic Journalism?” asks Heidi Schlumpf (05 Feb 2024, National Catholic Reporter, ncronline.org): “What ‘plays in Peoria’… is already part of a trend unlikely to slow: Bishops are cutting print publications or shuttering operations altogether, only to replace diocesan newspapers with soft-news magazines, websites and public relations content.”

Not happy with Catholic print publications going out with digital media coming in!?

Miss Heidi says:

Catholic media – especially diocesan papers that provide local coverage and often serve as the vehicle for a bishop's regular column – are not exempt from the larger forces affecting journalism, experts say. In addition, they are negatively impacted by the decline in religious affiliation and participation in the US and by competition from new Catholic media…

… Bishops are cutting print publications or shuttering operations altogether, only to replace diocesan newspapers with soft-news magazines, websites and public relations content. Meanwhile, new online, niche and sometimes ideological Catholic media are filling the gap.

Instead, Ms Heidi should be very happy!

She is referring to the rise of digital media and fall of printed media – as a journalist, I am not surprised because with all its variety & verve, digital media is exciting & economical. Like, you hardly pay for the use of a blog, Facebook, and X (Twitter). Today, if you have a cellphone, you’re as happy as a bird.

On Facebook alone, I can read enmity from non-Catholics, and that should be a major lesson for Catholic journalists. They must learn from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”

Roman Catholic journalists should concern themselves with the rise & fall of Roman Catholicism itself – and use media to come up with the best stories of “God’s Hello and Man’s Heart & Hope” (my coinage).

Let the non-Catholics keep on slaying the dragon called “Roman Catholicism”! We Catholics must unite – and today, the digital media altogether is the best for Catholic journalism.

The image above of “Catholic News” is from issuu.com; the title is “A sign of love and care to the poor, elderly.” Catholic journalists should be showing signs of love everywhere and to everybody, but especially the poor and the elderly! (I’m 83, thank God!)

Ms Heidi says:

[Catholic media] are negatively impacted by the decline in religious affiliation and participation in the US and by competition from new Catholic media.

Why should Catholic media compete with Catholic media?! They should compete with dis-information, mis-information here and there – and instead feed the eyes & hearts & minds Catholics.

My recommendation is for Catholic media to practice what I call “THiNK! Journalism.” Given all that Catholics believe in, journalists, in whatever media, should junk “Truth Journalism” and produce their outputs thus:

THiNK!
True is it? If True,
Helpful is it? If Helpful,
Inspiring is it? If Inspiring,
Necessary is it? If Necessary,
Kind is it? THiNK!

Do I myself believe in what I’m saying here? Look: “Think Journalism” is the title of my blog!@517

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