Church Adopts "Big News" As Watchword

Chronicle (Levin), 31 March 1948, Page 4

Church Adopts "Big News" As Watchword

The church qf England in G?eat Britain will be made p'ublicityconsciou§, from the Primate to the lowliest puratt,.:i"f the/r M Of. the: Publicity Commission "set up by the Archbishops, is aeeepted by the Church Assembiy. ./ v s>. .* : . ' To assist the Church's > evan.r geiical campaign "to.wards the conversion' o'f Engiahd,", the •••co$im«H siqn : is convince'd that modern publieifcY* methods ..should be used, ineXuding relfgiaus advertisements. in the Presb/ : /'• ' ' . The Church, jt says, must he prepared' to utilise ..all reasonable ■ and generallY recognised means of publicity to turn the tide of relig-'" ious indilference. ; : i A Church Infofmation Board is reeommended with a £2OQ0-a-ypa.r chief information: secretary, whose task woul'd be to- secure "that the positive aspects - of the lif e of the; Church are fairly presented" in the Press, newsreels," radio - and tele^ vjsion. . . . "The attention given to religion by .the big national daili.es js -not such as to leave the church people wjth any sense of satisfaction," states the rppprt. 1 „ • ".They are too dften bound to feel that the things of the spirit are: neglected or" suppressed as not being news and that Mammon in: its unsavoury aspects tends to be exalted when it aife.cts the Chureh. ."The Fleet Street approach may' at times bring 5disrepute on • the Church as a whole by the undue and unfair emphasis of incidents of a -nature equally likely to arise in other w'alks of life. "The treating of religion as a dull su.bject which can safely be played down unless. a 'titbit' is forthcoming is due not so much to hostility as to the reflection and sharing of public apathy. "On the other hand, a funda=^ mental . caus'e of maladjusted newspaper publicity 'may be traced in part to a lack .of a forceful, well co-ordinated Press relations policy by the Church." The commission recommendp Press advertising. . "We believe that evangelism by advertising may prove of incalculable value." « ""The clergy are reminded "that the Press has sometimes been regarded by the Church as half-way between a danger "and a nuisance, Many of the clergy are supicious of it. : "A- 'campaign to ' create a Press c.onscioushess among the rank and flle and also extending -to- ihe highest ,'dignitaries of the Church: ig called for. and education of the clergy should ' be undertaken t© break • down a hard core of resist- ' ance." . . • ; "Parish magazines are eriticised, too.; "Christianity is apt to appear in" a dull or' even repellent guise," says the report. •