Faith-based journalism -- coming soon to a town near you

[theHandpuppet]

From Gallipolis, Ohio...

Heartland, OVP plan expanded faith-based coverage

Friday, November 2, 2007 5:30 PM EDT

Staff Report

GALLIPOLIS - Recognizing the impact matters of religion and faith have on the tri-county area, Heartland Publications and the Ohio Valley Publishing Co. (OVP) are expanding their commitment to coverage of spiritual issues and events.

Because the faith-based community has always been an important part of the OVP's readership, the company's goal is to offer additional coverage to matters that interest these valued readers.

A redesign of the Faith and Values pages that appear in all three of OVP daily newspapers - The Daily Sentinel in Pomeroy, the Gallipolis Daily Tribune and the Point Pleasant Register - will be seen in the near future.

The church calendar and regular columns supplied by local pastors will remain a part of the Faith and Values pages, but both will be supplemented by a weekly children's Bible story coloring page, stories of inspiration from local clergy and churchgoers, and other information of interest to those for whom faith is a vital part of daily existence....

MORE

[jody]

1. Newspapers are searching for ways to stop circulation loss. n/t

[Red Zelda]

2. And accentuate

their brain loss.

[Mike Nelson]

3. OMG

...

[MountainLaurel]

4. My hometown paper (in WV) is already doing that

They have a weekly religion section that says outright that its goal is to raise up the glories of Jesus Christ, or some such nonsense.

[gratuitous]

5. So, submit a column for publication

It seems they're providing a service to their readership, specifically the segment that attends church regularly. I know, the horror! But it doesn't seem like they're not necessarily excluding anyone, so write a column. How about one on the passage from Ephesians about "serve one another in love"? Or a quick 250-word take on the Rapturists, with an emphasis on Amos 5:18-24? Or a call to your brothers and sisters in the community to allow themselves to be touched by the noodly appendage of the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

Sheesh, the things some people find to worry about . . .

[malaise]

6. Isn't that an

oxymoran?

[immoderate]

7. One of my favorite first books was bible stories...

That led me to fantasy and science fiction. As many people as not will recognize these stories as myths. I don't see this as a big deal.

--IMM

[petronius]

9. Some of my favorite stories as a kid were the lives of the saints

I kind of liked how the good guys 'lost' most of the time, through burning or stoning or stabbing or whatever - it was the beginning of my lifelong love of dark and morbid literature... :)

[Beelzebud]

8. Decatur Illinois' Herald and Review has a religious story on front page every other day.

It's been like this since Lee Enterprises took them over a few years ago. Lee owns newspapers across the south and midwest. I'd love to see someone research and see if all thier papers have a religious slant to them.