Mass Communicating: Connecting with Catholic Communities
Even though the Catholic Church has been around for millennia, it’s still quite relevant and powerful in many modern communities. Here are three big reasons why news orgs should build relationships with the local Catholic Church…
- Immigrants. Many (perhaps most) new immigrants to the U.S. are Catholic. If you want to connect with new immigrants, Hispanic communities, or people who are close to the immigration debate (think liberation theology), they’re probably all right down the street at the local Catholic Church—on a very regular basis.
- Information network. The Catholic Church has a large, well-established, sophisticated global information network in place, comprising several Catholic news outlets as well as internal reporting, both formal and informal.
- Catholic schools, charities, and hospitals have old, deep roots in many communities of difference.
Catholicism isn’t just about faith and rituals—it’s about meeting social needs and providing structure to communities in need. And it’s also about influencing government.
For instance, several Latin American countries are governed for and by an elite ruling class, so the needs of the larger, poorer population go unmet because there are no social structures to help them and nobody would fund them if there were. In those places, absent civil infrastructure, the Catholic Church is often the only game in town—in no small part because for Catholics, good works (charity, helping folks out, general humanitarianism) are a major tenet of the faith.
NOTE: This post is part of a special series on how news orgs can connect with communities of difference through communities of faith. See the series intro for links to the rest of this series. |
This dynamic also happens in some impoverished, corrupt North American cities, such as Camden, NJ and Baltimore, Md. There, Catholic charities and healthcare have long played a key role in keeping local low-income and homeless people sheltered, fed, healthy, educated, and trained for work.
Many Catholic organizations and congregations also are active on political issues both mundane and hot-button: from zoning and education to law enforcement and abortion. Ties between the Catholic church and local political parties and governments often run deep.
The 800-lb gorilla: Of course, lately the US Catholic church and many rank-and-file Catholics have had an uneasy relationship with the news media—and with each other—due to widespread and often sensational coverage of the priest sex abuse scandals. Realize that by covering this important story, some news organizations and journalists have made it more difficult than you might otherwise expect to connect with Catholic communities and sources. Those communities are still healing from the deep wounds of that scandal, and you may have to approach them repeatedly in a low-key way to establish good will. Also, the Church spent considerable sums in legal fees, insurance hikes, and victim reparations over the scandal. In some diocese, that shortage of funds has led to closures of some schools and other important programs. Now might be a good time to check in to see how those congregations and communities are recovering.
As I mentioned above, the Catholic Church has its own global news network. Also, there are hundreds of Catholic newspapers in the U.S., in every state and the District of Columbia, not to mention worldwide. Some of the news items are particular to the faith or diocese—but there are also opinion pieces and event calendars.
A natural place for a news org to start building bridges with Catholic communities is to partner with local Catholic newspapers. Start by reading them and referencing them in your coverage. (Giving them credit shows respect and builds trust.) This can provide new insight on hot debates (immigration, abortion, sexual orientation, education, war, and population growth, to name a few). You may be surprised on the diversity of views you’ll find on these and other issues from within the allegedly “monolithic” Catholic community.
Here are a few more ways you can build bridges with Catholic news outlets and communities:
- Swap calendar listings between your news organization and Catholic newspapers and newsletters.
- Cover some of their celebrations. Maybe the Saint Swithen’s Day pancake breakfast doesn’t sound like your speed, but Fat Tuesday sure is—and everyone will be there!
- Cover their political events These happen more often than you might think at Catholic churches and organizations. Check out this preview of a pro-life prayer vigil featuring Alveda King. I’m not saying your story should necessarily be sympathetic to any particular viewpoint, but connecting with your local Catholic Church or diocese can help you make sure you don’t overlook the views of this important community.
- Cover local Catholic charities. Catholic Charities USA uses its considerable global network to reach folks in need. They’re always seeking volunteers, donors, and opportunities to help, and they’re closely involved with current events and politics. They’re not just human interest—they’re newsmakers. They even feature election guides, and you’d better believe that’s powerful stuff for millions of newly enfranchised Americans.
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