Editor’s Note
September 8 marked the 28th anniversary of HERALD, and it is with much gratitude that we are resuming our print version this weekend.
Sep 10, 2022
By Patricia Pereira
September 8 marked the 28th anniversary of HERALD, and it is with much gratitude that we are resuming our print version this weekend. We thank our readers who have been patiently waiting to ‘hold’ the newspaper in their hands once again and we also thank our bishops for giving us their blessings to resume the physical newspaper.
We are well aware that we will now come under closer scrutiny. It is much easier to spot and highlight an error when it is in print, and readers tend to pay more attention to the articles featured or not been featured.
In an occasional email, letter to the editor or telephone call, a reader will wonder why certain opinions or negative news is published in a Church newspaper. These are not new questions, but some people — especially those who feel that some mandate exists from Rome or the local chancery office — believe Catholic periodicals should present only positive news.
The Catholic press has an irreplaceable role in forming Christian consciences and reflecting the Church’s viewpoint on contemporary issues. Despite the crisis in print media today, the Catholic newspaper still has a vital role to play in arch/diocesan communications. While secular media often reflect a sceptical and relativistic attitude toward truth, the Church knows that people need the full truth brought by Christ.
We are called to serve the truth with courage, to help the public see and read reality from an evangelical viewpoint. The primary task of a Catholic newspaper is to give voice to a point of view that reflects Catholic thinking on all ethical and social questions.
HERALD has always been, and continues to be, a “newspaper of the people”. We believe that a printed newspaper like ours, because of its simplicity and widespread distribution, remains an effective way of spreading news about local arch/diocesan events and developments.
We also aim to favour real dialogue between different social sectors and debate among people with different opinions. By doing this, we not only fulfil the important task of providing information, but also perform an irreplaceable formative function in the critical education of Christian consciences.
In general terms, our mission is to inform and form; that is, to present the news of the day accurately and objectively, and to offer instructional (catechetical) material to help educate readers about the faith. A third goal is to present editorial opinions on current issues in line with Church teachings.
Each week, HERALD will strive to accomplish this mission through informative news articles, both local and global, and though sometimes news can be disquieting, it can also be inspiring.
We aim to form readers in our faith through spiritual and Scripture-related columns and offer thought-provoking insights through our opinion pages, editorials and commentaries.
Therefore, we encourage all our readers to welcome us into your homes through reading the HERALD cover to cover each week and sharing your stories of faith with us.
Total Comments:0