Adequate Publicity

...Practically every other organized interest in the United States has learned the lesson that it cannot depend entirely upon the routine operation of the secular press so far as adequate representation of its special interests is concerned...

...I propose then to deal exclusively here with publicity through the press...

...namely, that Catholics belong to a religion which certainly as much as any other form of religion, believes and claims to exercise the belief, that its doctrines and the philosophy springing from its doctrines, are beneficial not only for its own followers but for society as a whole...

...I think it is true that the interior branch or department of Catholic publicity is at present fairly adequate, and is performing its function well...

...Now Catholics are, of course, many other things than merely members of a certain religious organization...

...They are citizens of the state, being unequally yet very clearly divided between the two main political parties...

...Such a proposed central bureau need not and should not interfere with the present work of the existing agencies, whether of the interior or of the exterior branch of Catholic publicity...

...Scholarships would have to be provided for the sending of selected workers for study or research abroad...

...But this does not meet the situation...

...A very few Catholic publications, such as the Catholic World, America and, I think it may be permissible to say, The Commonweal, because of their large measure of literary quality and the inclusion of subjects of general interest to others than professing Catholics, must be placed partly outside the above classification, inasmuch as they exert an exterior effect as well as an interior one...

...Even when these general propositions are granted, it may be said that the secular press may well be trusted to deal with the situation: first, by keeping the public informed concerning all Catholic events of general interest, treated purely for their news value...

...Another important consideration presents itself in connection with this point...

...It may be well, therefore, to state the case for exterior Catholic publicity...

...May not the general secular press be trusted to give to the general reading public all the legitimate news and special articles dealing with Catholic affairs or interests which possess general interest or value ? Why should Catholics ask for any special consideration in this matter, or devise special means to secure publicity...

...Our discussion, then, really narrows itself down to the single point of the exterior branch or function of Catholic publicity: what we are doing to reach the non-Catholic world around us, what mode we use in trying to do this, and what betterment can be effected in this department of our publicity...

...The position among Catholics won by such organs as the Catholic World and America is unquestionably very high...

...He likewise pointed out the inadequacy of existing Catholic methods...

...Since the establishment of the News Service of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, the readability and general attractiveness of the Catholic diocesan newspapers has shown a marked improvement, and year by year this progress continues...

...There is, of course, some truth in this contention...

...Undoubtedly there is room for improvement, and for the extension of its field...

...Which brings us to the practical point of the whole problem, namely: the first thing to be done is for our bishops to decide whether or not such a plan is feasible, and if feasible, whether or not it should be taken in hand...

...and, furthermore, that they themselves are to blame for this condition, which they could quickly and effectively change for the better...

...Over and above and quite apart from all such interests, however, is the special and exceptional nature of their status as members of the Catholic Church...

...Williams has stressed the legitimacy and importance of the right sort of agency for conveying information to the general public...

...either to convey information about disputed matters, such as the relations between Church and state and other controversial subjects, or else to expound Catholic doctrine and practice in such a way as to secure conversions to the Faith...

...For it is indisputable that no nation can be healthy and function in a normal, wholesome manner if or when a very considerable group of the citizens of that nation are looked upon with distrust or misunderstanding, or with dread, by other large sections of the citizens...

...There are a very large number of happenings and affairs constantly occurring but seldom dealt with in the secular newspapers, simply because they are not brought to the attention of the press, and are not sensational or exceptional enough to oblige the press to deal with them...

...IN MY preceding articles, facts and arguments were presented to prove that American Catholics lack an adequate publicity system, which lack works grave injury to themselves, to their Church and to society in general...

...The same thing may, of course, be said of more special journals, such as the Ecclesiastical Review, Thought, the Homiletic Review, the Catholic Historical Review, the Catholic Educational Review and others devoted to the higher studies and to the technical problems of the educational, philanthropic and apologetic works of the Church...

...Therefore, there rests upon Catholics a direct obligation to spread and expound what they consider to be socially beneficial...

...In the present article I shall offer for consideration some suggestions as to how this improvement might be brought about...

...There would have to be a centre, and in time several centres, of such thoroughgoing research work, established and maintained at Catholic universities...

...but that is true of any good work, and is not offered as a criticism of its present condition...

...In their private capacities they are capitalists, workmen, employers, clerks, professional men and women: doctors, nurses, lawyers, judges, teachers, etc...

...Many volumes could be written on each phase of the problem which in this place is condensed into a few words...

...But only such a foundation would be equipped to carry on a work at all commensurate with the needs of the situation and the dignity and importance of the Catholic Church in the United States...

...There is, therefore, an unmistakable need for prejudice to be lessened or done away with, misconceptions to be corrected, and hostility dissipated...

...Undoubtedly this work would be predominantly, but not exclusively, clerical...

...Probably it should be much larger...

...A very large number of Catholic books and pamphlets also belong to the first classification...

...not considering, for the present, such other phases as radio talks, lectures or forums...

...I am, therefore, of the opinion that unless or until a Catholic central press bureau or service-the particular name is of little importance but the thing itself is of primary importance-has been established, there can be no change for the better in a situation which at present is most deplorable, and which does not reflect credit upon Catholic leadership, either clerical or lay...

...Catholic press publicity may be classified under two main aspects, or, perhaps more correctly, functions: (a) interior and (b) exterior...

...To use a commercial metaphor, these publications might be described as "house organs," circulating as they do almost exclusively among the members of the Catholic Church...

...Others, which tend to increase, and which undoubtedly ought to increase, are written for non-Catholics...

...The same thing is true, of course, as concerns Catholics who are Democrats...

...But there is an urgent need for the coordination and extension of these existing agencies in addition to the creation of new ones, and this coordination and assistance could only effectively be accomplished by a central agency...

...and their work is indispensably necessary...

...The Editors...

...At this point we face a question which is central to the whole discussion: is there a real need for Catholics to concern themselves with this matter or not...

...Other events or happenings connected with the Catholic Church, even when not so extraordinary, are also reported in the pages of the daily press...

...A true picture of the Catholic Church cannot be gained by the general public simply through the reporting of extraordinary and special occasions...

...not only for the good of Catholics, and for the sake of their own Church, but also for the good of the nation of which they are members...

...Not only is this so, but as Catholics they belong to a religious group which for many reasons is undoubtedly more misunderstood, more generally regarded with prejudice and even with hostility, than any other of the religious groups...

...The first or interior function of Catholic publicity includes practically all our diocesan newspapers, devotional and literary weeklies issued by the religious orders, and such monthly magazines as are published by the Knights of Columbus and the Church Extension Society...

...But in addition to such a work of coordination, extension and assistance to be rendered to agencies operating in the exterior branch of the work, there is above all a crying need for scientific research work, accompanied by the training of men and women to carry on and further to develop such research work...

...Thus, in political matters, when Catholics are Republicans, they have their own party organization and their party press, in both of which many individual Catholics function influentially -influentially, that is to say, as Republicans, not as Catholics...

...As such they form a group which, while possibly constituting the single most numerous purely religious group in the country, is, nevertheless, a very small minority when contrasted with the various other Christian bodies, and with the very large body of citizens not affiliated with the religious groups...

...When the Eucharistic Congress was held in Chicago, for example, the newspapers appreciated the news value of that happening and gave it ample publicity...

...Far more important than quantity production, so to speak, in this particular field, is the importance of quality...

...The present paper offers an analysis of Catholic press publicity...

...The same condition prevails in the case of those Catholics who belong to capitalistic, industrial or professional groups: bankers, manufacturers, lawyers, doctors, etc...

...Their interests and their opinions and their political, economic and social views of various kinds connected with other things than their religious status, find representation and expression in much the same manner as do those of all other citizens of all other religious or non-religious affiliations...

...In my opinion, an endowment for the foundation and the maintenance of such a work of religious research and expression should be at least ten million dollars...

...As workmen and employees, generally speaking, Catholics are, or may be if they wish, members of well-organized groups, of unions and associations possessing the usual instrumentalities and means for securing the public statement and arguing of their special interests...

...It is, however, in the hope that vague or merely emotional discussion of this subject may give place to something more practical, that my own ideas are presented in this summary fashion...

...I believe that Catholics who favor the development of Catholic publicity perhaps do not realize the number of their coreligionists who are either unawakened to the need for organized Catholic publicity, or who think such action unnecessary...

...There are already many excellent organizations of both kinds...

...Unless there is at the disposal of writers trained to reach the general public an up-to-date and constantly revised volume of scholarly and authoritative information, Catholic publicity, no matter how it may be extended as to quantity or as to the territory embraced in its operations, will inevitably be a failure...

...First of all, I think it will be useful to reduce the subject to manageable limits, even at the risk of seeming to be arbitrary or narrowly dogmatic...

...Lay workers for both branches of the apostolate-for apostolate it truly is-would have to be encouraged and developed...

...Nor, indeed, would it be fair to the press to demand such an extension of its work as would meet the requirements of special interests...

...If the answer is in the affirmative, the next step should be the raising of an endowment sufficient to equip and maintain the work which the situation as outlined requires...

...with one portion definitely set apart for the direct and exclusive service of religion as clergymen and members of religious orders: nuns, monks, brothers and the like...

...It then proposes for consideration a solution which answers not merely the demand for pertinent religious news but also the "crying need for research work, accompanied by the training of men and women to carry on and further develop such research work...

...and, secondly, by opening its columns to the Catholic side of all controversial matters freely and fairly...