ONE BIG JOURNAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 18, 21 July 1939, Page 7

ONE BIG JOURNAL

ANGLICAN CHURCH

PROJECT BEFORE SYNOD

REACHING THE PEOPLE

The establishment of a New Zealandwide Anglican Church publication in place of the present separate diocesan papers 4 was advocated at the meeting of the Wellington Anglican Diocesan Synod yesterday afternoon. It was claimed that the need, the opportunity, and the usefulness for such a"*-paper existed in a striking way and that the'; proposition was oracticable. ! Synod was asked, on the motion of j the Yen. Archdeacon J. R. Young, to j commend to General Synod the project of promoting a national Church paper. Discussion on the motion was interrupted by the consideration of other business and was adjourned. IDEA NOT NEtV; J Synod was addressed on the project j by. Mr. C. T. C. Watson, editor of the | "Church Chronicle," the Wellingtoa diocesan publication. Mr. Watson said that the idea of a New Zealandwide paper for the Church in this Do-, minion was not new. Today there : appeared to be a fairly general appro-; val in principle of one large journal; j in fact, there were few in the councils of the Church who opposed the project in theory. Where there might be room for some disagreement was in the practicability of the successful establishment of the paper. Most, if not all, of the monthly publications of the seven diocesos were in a struggling condition financially. It was evident that the day of the small-scale periodical in Church journalism was passing, all being uneconomic as now produced; neither were the diocesan journals in New Zealand instruments for the greater authority of the Church or the spiritual well-being of her people. They constituted ria medium through which the voice of the Church might oe heard with authority in the land. A new vision was needed. In his view, the ideal journal for the Church in New Zealand was a weekly publication in straight-out newspaper form, to be sold to subscribers at not more than 3d a copy. It should be a family newspaper for all their people and for that wider circle the Church sought to influence. INDEPENDENT ENTERPRISE. After referring to the literary content of such a paper and its potentially! wide sphere of influence, Mr. Wat-; son dealt with the question of its es-< tablishment. He recommended that! publication be undertaken by the formation of a limited liability company; in. whose shareholding the Churcnj would have no official part. If the way was cleared for a reasonably certain basic circulation, he suggested that' the capital required would be between £";=*s) and £"50 under normal conditions. The success of such a paper would depend very largely on the; standard and appeal of the journalism put into it and on the energy arid caution contributed by its management. There would also be needed the blessing and active support of rr--Scse- clergy and laity and a warm re-j sponse from the Church people as aj whole. ; In thanking Mr. Watson, Archdeacon Bullock, the president, suggested the possibility of Mr. Watson's address being read to General Synod which would be the final body to consider this project. Archdeacon Young said there werei two questions to decide: the first was whether such a paper was desirable, and the second, whether the production of such a paper would be practicable. He agreed entirely with the views expressed by Mr. Watson on these points. The Archdeacon said he believed that the need, the opportunity, and the usefulness for such a paper existed in a very striking way. "it has been a matter of surprise to the promoters of the secular Press, ?s it has been to some of us," he added, "the widespread demand there is forf, reliable, fresh, live articles on subjects j of vital interest in matters of religion. I believe very strongly that here is an opportunity for the Church to make some effective impact on the public, an impact upon members very much more widely distributed than has been achieved by our organised religious teaching. I believe that such a paper would be read by all sorts of unexpected people. I believe in that way we would have the chance of influencing their thought, improving their knowledge, and stimulating their will for better things." "MUST PAY ITS WAY." Archdeacon Young said he agreed also that the best way of running such a paper, was that it should be conducted as an independent enterprise by a limited liability company. He believed also that the paper must be made to pay its own way, because he had a very strong conviction that anything in the way of journalism that ;did not pay its own way was not worth- producing. If General Synod approved of the publication of such a paper, two things would have to be asked of General Synod. Its blessing and encouragement and promise of' its moral support for its launching and initiation would be required, and in the second place General Synod should ask or suggest to the dioceses that their diocesan papers should be discontinued. He thought these two requests could fairly be made. _Tf they were granted he did not think the forming and launching of a company with a capital of £5000 would be a difficult commercial proposition. Mr. H. A. Huggins seconded the motion, after which the discussion was adjourned until later in the session.