Newspaper Work an Open Field by C. S. LONGACRE

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 18, 1915

Newspaper Work an Open Field

By C. S. LONGACRE

My observation and experience in newspaper work this past summer have given me a new vision of the great possibilities in this promising field.

No doubt the most powerful agency today is the press. It has outstripped the platform in its facilities to reach the people and to mold public sentiment. It makes and unmakes rulers, judges, and legislators. Its messages travel with the wings of the wind to earth's remotest bounds.

We have not always made the most of our opportunities of proclaiming in this manner the wonderful truths of God's Word and its message for this time. God, in his infinite wisdom, perfected this marvelous means of carrying the news of his everlasting gospel to all the earth in the shortest period of time. He is depending on us to embrace the opportunities presented to us on so many occasions, and to make known to the world through the press the knowledge of his salvation. But we are so timid and backward that we do not take advantage of this agency as we should.

At the camp meetings which I attended this summer, I was glad to see our conference presidents wide-awake in reference to this matter. A special press bureau man was appointed to write up daily reports for the newspapers. The newspaper editors vied with one another in seeking reports of our meetings.

At the Waterloo, Iowa, camp meeting, the Associated Press reporter visited the

camp grounds and informed us that word had been sent to him from the Associated Press headquarters in Boston to keep informed as to what Seventh-day Adventist speakers would say about the present world-war conflict from the viewpoint of the Bible prophecies. The writer's lecture on "The War and the Battle of Armageddon" was published in the Associated Press reports, and was read from Maine to California.

The Topeka Daily Capital, a newspaper of Kansas, with a circulation of over 34,000 copies, printed daily reports of the Emporia camp meeting, ranging from two to five columns; yet this camp meeting was located nearly one hundred miles from Topeka. It published a total of 436 inches of reports, or over 36 feet of solid matter, containing more than 20,000 words on the message for this time. Ordinarily it would take considerable money to get that much of our message into the hands of 34,000 persons.

An excellent plan was devised by the Kansas Conference to induce the Topeka Daily Capital to give extensive reports of the meetings in Emporia. An arrangement was made to supply 1,000 new subscriptions for a period of two weeks, covering the time of the camp meeting, and the newspaper in turn agreed to give full reports.

As a result of these extensive reports in the leading State paper, the Kansas City Star sent its leading reporter a distance of two hundred and fifty miles to secure a good write-up for its own paper. He was very favorably impressed with our principles, and said that our people supply the best-written reports that are sent to the Star by any denomination.

The plan of the Kansas Conference to supply 1,000 new subscriptions for two weeks, at two cents a copy, had good results, and ought to be put in operation at all our camp meetings and large gatherings.

Five laudable achievements were accomplished by this plan. These are as follows:—

Our people received full, printed reports of the principal sermons and proceedings of the conference.
The people had the opportunity of getting the message in their own homes.
It greatly stimulated the attendance at the meetings, and broke down prejudice.
It gave other newspapers an incentive to publish the reports.
The conference received one half of the proceeds from the subscriptions supplied. Thus, 20,000 words of our message were put into 34,000 homes, not only without cost, but at a financial profit to the conference.

When the Kansas Conference officials placed before the campers the matter of obtaining 1,000 subscriptions, those present pledged themselves to the amount of nearly 2,000 subscriptions. Many of these papers were sent to members of their families at home, to absent church members, and to interested neighbors.

This past summer the Religious Liberty Department succeeded in defeating three Sunday law campaigns through newspaper agitation. These newspapers were supplied with strong articles setting forth the principles of religious liberty, and giving our reasons why religious legislation should not be encouraged in a free country. As a result, public sentiment was awakened, and the public officials took a strong stand against such laws. We ought to take advantage of every opening to set our principles before the public through the press.

Our people ought to avail themselves of the facilities offered by the Press Bureau, which is prepared to send articles for publication upon any subject which arises relative to our great message. The Press Bureau is doing a wonderful work in getting the public press to herald the truth for these times, but it might accomplish a much greater work if our people throughout the field would ask to be supplied with suitable articles, to meet the various issues as they arise. All they need to do is to sign these articles and hand them to the newspaper editors. God has given us a remarkable fund of literature, and we ought to be thankful that his providence has also supplied world-wide facilities through which we can herald this message quickly to all men, without expense, through outside agencies. May the Lord open our eyes to our present opportunities. C. S. LONGACRE.