Newspapers in the Northern Union Proclaim the Message by Walter L. Burgan

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 27, 1916

Newspapers in the Northern Union Proclaim the Message

By Walter L. Burgan

AFTER making a tour of the camp meetings held in the Northern Union Conference, which embraces the States of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, Brother W. H. Edwards, secretary-treasurer of that union, has written his impressions concerning the newspaper reporting that he did in connection with these meetings. He says:—

“I consider free printer's ink too good a proposition to be ignored. I have always received the most urbane and kindly consideration from newspaper representatives, and when I come in touch with the general editor of a paper, the treatment is most cordial.

“When I told one editor, as I was leaving town, that I wished to express my appreciation of his cooperation, he said that he wished to express his gratitude for the full and continuous line of articles that had made his paper become very popular, as people were reading it eagerly, and that he himself, as he looked over the articles to see if they needed editing, could not stop till he had finished reading them, they were so interesting. He also said that he had not found it necessary to change my diction or punctuation, but had passed the articles at once to the linotypist to be set.

“I feel that God has given us a wonderful blessing in this gratuitous help from the newspapers, and we should not be slow to take advantage of it.

“In some of the papers during the camp meetings, I had from two to six columns of space daily; and when I asked the editors if I was overloading them, they said, ‘When we get too much, we will throw up our hands.’

“I find some editors who believe in and practice health reform, not using stimulating foods or drinks, and discarding tea and coffee. When they learn that our people stand for health principles, a bond of friendship is at once established.

“I believe that those who are conducting tent meetings might augment their work and see greater results if they would exert themselves to meet the editors and managers of newspapers and get acquainted with them; would listen to them and learn their hobbies, being careful not to belittle them; would take pains to agree with these men when to do so would not violate a principle of Biblical faith; and, lastly, would pay for an advertisement occasionally.

“As there are quite a number of camp meetings yet to be held this season, I should think that every laudable effort should be made to get the sermons into all the papers, for, as one editor told me, ‘Your speakers preach to hundreds in your meetings, but the same sermons, when in our paper, preach to thousands in the county and State.’ And that is true.

“May God give us still greater favor with secular publishers for the heralding of these last-day truths!”

It is to be hoped that the workers in the field will take fresh courage after reading what Brother Edwards says, and will do more toward proclaiming the message through the newspapers. Our workers should not have the slightest hesitancy about requesting editors to publish reports of their meetings. Constant effort in this direction will bring to the attention of the editors the importance of our work, and also inform them as to the wonderful and sublime truths contained in the advent message. Through the reading of extracts of sermons in the form of reports, these men will become interested and will gladly publish the same. The secular press is to play an important part in reaching the masses, and no one should fail to take advantage of the many opportunities before him to give phases of the message through this agency.

WALTER L. BURGAN.