The decision comes at a time when The Episcopal Church Standing Commission on Church Communication issues its most recent report that outlines a similar dilemma for all church publications: How to communicate effectively through the internet and electronic environments while maintaining effective and affordable print publications. The Record Editorial Board chose not to discontinue print as some dioceses are doing.

The decision underscores a significant shift in reporting and publishing in the Diocese of Michigan that has been underway for two years. Since 2007, the most recent and relevant news of the diocese has been reported weekly through The Record Weekly and The Record Web site, and the editorial board has gradually truncated the monthly publication schedule. The cutbacks in publishing has also affected circulation of Episcopal Life. The model for the new quarterly magazine that The Record Editorial Board is considering will continue to feature The Best of Episcopal Life. Readers who wish to receive the monthly issue of Episcopal Life are encouraged to get an individual subscription. The Record newspaper will be published this year in August and October, with the new magazine debuting with the Winter issue after the Diocesan Convention.

The Record was founded in 1951 principally as a newspaper for the person in the pew. The Record Editorial Board will continue its longstanding commitment to publish news with the readers' interests paramount.

As founding editor Jack Chapin said upon the launching of The Record in 1951 (in the language of the day), "The Record will seek to dispel the commonly held idea that Church news is dull stuff to be dutifully read by clergymen, and possibly by women's auxiliary members and vestrymen. Clergy are people too, we happen to know, and they will read and participate in these columns. But it is the man who worships with his wife in a pew on Sunday mornings (perhaps not every Sunday at that), that lends a hand when the church needs redecorating and sends his children to Church School who, by and large, makes the Church tick. We feel that his interests and activities are far from dull. This is his paper--for and about him. We hope he will read it."

The Record Editorial Board continues in the same tradition, and with the same goal of increasing circulation of the news of the diocese to every household--and every computer--in the diocese.

Publishing a news magazine quarterly will cut in half the publishing and mailing costs of a monthly newspaper at a time when significant cutbacks in diocesan ministry allocations through the diocesan programmatic budget are inevitable. The Record relies on a significant level of financial support from readers without which the print publication might not be possible.

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The Record Weekly subscriptions

The Record Editorial Board is determine to enroll every Episcopalian with a computer in the Monday morning circulation of The Record Weekly. With the transition this year to a quarterly magazine, it is essential that readers rely on the e-mail distribution of news and event announcements.

The Record Weekly is now the linchpin of communication throughout the Diocese of Michigan.

Please download an enrollment sheet and circulate the sign-up sheet throughout your congregation!

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Your COMMENTS (150 words or less)?

I am pleased The Record Board is making an effort to keep some sort of print circulation available during these challenging times that have seen other major print media disappear completely. I hope we all will generously support this effort. In your article, however, you state, "Readers who wish to receive the monthly issue of Episcopal Life are encouraged to get an individual subscription." A cursory tour of the Episcopal Life web site did not yield information on how to do that. Perhaps you can illuminate that process in a future article.

Peace,
Pete Ross

Editor's Note: Episcopal Life subscriptions can be made HERE.

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I prefer to receive all communication via the internet. It is easier for me to utilize and requires no paper or postage cost.

When you go to the new publication schedule I hope that that The Record will be available on the internet and that you will stop sending me a printed copy.

 

Best regards,
Robert Snyder

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Your LETTER to the editor (50-350 words)

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