p. 15 | Our Press Bureau Work by Walter L. Burgan

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Jul 25, 1912

Our Press Bureau Work

By Walter L. Burgan

Our efforts to bring before the world through the agency of the newspaper the gospel work and the movement represented by the Seventh-day Adventists, continue to be crowned with success. Since the inauguration of the Press Bureau last January, and the giving of instruction in newspaper reporting at eight of the nine union conference meetings held in this country last winter, the corps of reporters in our denomination has grown considerably.

That our denomination is being brought more prominently to the attention of the world each day through this powerful medium is shown by the clippings that are coming to the Press Bureau headquarters through the mails. It is very gratifying to say that our brethren in different States have taken hold of this new movement with a vim, with the result that large black head-lines are attracting readers to the articles published about us.

A tour among several camp-meetings in the East revealed the fact that the newspapers would publish practically everything written about such gatherings. Upon arriving at Westerly, R. I., where the camp-meeting of the Southern New England Conference was in progress, we were pleased to learn that one of the workers had been furnishing daily reports to the local paper since the opening of the meetings. Reports of this camp-meeting were also sent to the Providence, Bridgeton, New Haven, New London, and other papers in the territory covered by the conference.

Considerable was published by the Taunton newspapers about the Massachusetts Conference camp-meeting. Papers in Boston, Providence, New Bedford, and other places also printed reports. Among the workers at Taunton was one who has a knowledge of reporting for the secular press, and who, during the closing days of the camp, gave interesting accounts to the newspapers. At the camp-meeting of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, which was held at Wescosville, near Allentown, and at the camp-meeting of the New Jersey Conference, which was held at Plainfield, were workers who furnished reports to the newspapers.

Not only are the brethren in the East utilizing the newspaper for the spreading of the truth and for giving interesting reports of the progress of our work, but those in other sections of this country, especially those on the Pacific Coast, are also contributing interesting items. The camp-meetings thus far held in the Pacific Union Conference have been reported, and a study of the clippings makes it evident that what our denomination is doing in that section has been widely circulated. Many clippings dealing with district meetings, sessions of the executive committees of local conferences, colporteur conventions, tent and hall meetings, and other efforts have also been received.

Walter L. Burgan.