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Power of Newspapers Demonstrated

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 16, 1915

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 46.

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Power of Newspapers Demonstrated

By W. L. Burgan

Several more interesting testimonials on the newspaper work have recently been received, indicating that our workers are seeing the benefits of using this agency for the heralding of the truth.
Elder A. S. Booth, who closed a long series of meetings in Ogden, Utah, the latter part of August, has had a remarkable experience in that city. In a letter sent August 26, he tells of his success, which is unusual when one considers the fact that the town is dominated by the Mormon Church. He says:—
“The two papers have printed for us during the time of the meetings 117 articles, averaging eleven and one-half inches each. The amount of free space has been 1,420 inches. The influence of the newspaper work has been more than we can know. The editor of the Standard told Mrs. Booth yesterday that the newspaper articles had done a wonderful amount of good. He also commended us for not attacking the people, but saying what we had to say in a positive way. Another editor of the same paper said that it was the first time in the history of the paper that they have given any evangelistic effort so much publicity.
“One of our sisters, who went to the office of the Examiner, told those in charge that she wished the paper because of the sermons from the tent that appeared in it. She was told that the paper would print the reports as long as we would send them. This paper, which is controlled by Mormons, was the one that I had a little difficulty with at first, but it has done the best by us, some of the articles running over a column in length.
“So far thirty-three have signed the covenant to keep the Sabbath. Some have been baptized, and added to the church. Others will follow later.”
A worker in Alabama has done well through his newspaper efforts, which he describes as follows:—
“It may interest you to know that I have just closed a very successful series of meetings in the city of Mobile, and the public press was of much help in securing the success.
“I had no trouble in getting the daily papers to publish synopses of my sermons and announcements of a general nature, the reading of which was one of the causes of such large crowds attending my meetings this summer.
“It has pleased the Lord to place the public press at our disposal. Let us use it in the proclamation of this great message.”
A worker in Colorado has recently run a three months’ series of articles through one of the papers in his city. Concerning the value of their publication he says: “From these we received many inquiries, and heard many favorable expressions on the war question and the coming of the Lord. Many persons who follow these articles admit that we have the truth. Eternity alone will reveal what the result of our efforts will be.”
An enthusiastic word has come from a worker in Florida, as follows: “I am having great success in my tent effort here, and attribute it to newspaper publicity. I do not sermonize in the newspaper columns, but give plain news. We have gathered out a nice band of believers, and are now negotiating for the purchase of a building.”
The two brethren who remained in Charlottesville, Va., to bind off the interest that developed during the camp meeting of the Virginia Conference, are meeting with success in proclaiming the message through the daily newspaper of that university town. During the camp meeting the editor gave a liberal amount of space for the reports, and in consequence scores of strangers attended the evening meetings. The interest was so pronounced that the two brethren who remained there planned to hold a series of meetings lasting several weeks. A letter from one of these workers says: “The paper prints all we take to it, and seems glad to get the reports. The interest is good and prospects bright. There are more in attendance Sunday nights than the tent will hold, and the other nights from one hundred to three hundred attend. Some of the best people in town are interested. We hold Sunday afternoon meetings with good interest. The preachers are doing their part against us. We feel something like Paul when he wrote 1 Cor. 16:9: ‘For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.’”
One of our ministers in Minnesota says: “Our Sunday night sermons are regularly reported, and we get very good treatment. When I held a few special services at Superior, Wis., I first saw the newspaper men, then put an ‘ad.’ in the paper, and got everything I wanted in the news line. When I spoke at Moose Lake and Cloquet, Minn., I received the same treatment, although I never advertised in their papers. I find there is a way to get results.
“Several of our new converts were first attracted to us through reading the daily reports. Other outside people who come in to special services, say, ‘Every word of that ought to be in the paper.’ Of course I do not make my reports too lengthy, for when they are ‘cut’ some of the pithy part is sometimes left out. So I just put in the gist. Since I have been advertising in the daily, the Catholic Church has recently used a two-column, five-inch display ‘ad.’ for noon lectures at Lyceum Theater. I never fail to report my sermons wherever I deliver an address. It certainly pays,
and I as an aggressive city evangelist have come to consider the reporting to the press in these days as a necessary part of my work.”
We hope that others who have been backward in using the newspapers will take courage, and help to spread the message through this agency.
W. L. BURGAN.