Catholic Problems in Western CanadaDaly, George Thomas
Religion
Catholic Problems in Western Canada
Daly, George Thomas
Catholic Church -- Canada
What then are the conditions of genuine success for a Catholic paper?
_Vigour in policy, extensiveness in circulation_: these are the two
essential conditions of success. The Catholic paper in a community
must be a live-wire of high voltage, carrying light, heat, and power,
and not a mere telegraphic-cable repeating what others have already
said, or serving as a safety valve for the overflow of local gossip.
The news and issues of general interest should be so combined with
local topics as to awaken and keep the attention of the reader.
Circulation is also fundamental in journalism as well as in the human
system. It carries life into the whole organism and is the warrant of
success. The moment circulation becomes stagnant and loses hold of the
people, the paper is but a ghost. Poor circulation is what gives to so
many Catholic papers such languid existence.
How can we create these conditions of success for the Catholic Press in
Western Canada, where its need is so deeply felt? There is the crux of
the present situation. Our scattered and comparatively small
population, even in our cities, the extreme difficulty of securing and
keeping managers and editors suited for this work, the indifference and
spirit of commercialism which characterize Western Canada: all these
factors tend to render precarious the life of a Catholic paper. And
still the crying need is there; how are we to meet it?
This leads us to make a suggestion which would help to solve the
problem of the Catholic Press in the West. The beautiful work of the
Catholic Press in France has prompted it.
The society of "La Bonne Presse" issues a weekly paper, "La Croix."
This paper has different issues for the different parts of France. At
the central office, in Paris, exists a well organized "boiler-plate"
service for general Catholic news and opinions. These "boiler-plates"
are shipped to all the sub-stations, where, during the week are
composed the pages of local news, editorials, advertisements, etc.
This is the most economical and most efficient modern method of
publishing several papers or different issues of the one paper.
Our circulation in Western Canada would not perhaps yet warrant such an
organization. But working along the same lines, could we not have _one
paper_, with _different issues_ for the different Prairie Provinces?
This would necessitate a chief editor for the editorials of general
character, common to all--and a sub-editor in each Province who could
also act as manager in his section of the country. To write editorials
adapted to the ever-changing needs of his Province, answer those who
attack the Church in our local papers, guide our Catholics in the
various issues which are discussed in the Province, and control the
correspondence for the different news centres, would be the duties of
this sub-editor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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