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PRESBYTERY OF ABERDEEN
REPORT ON COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY MEETING
A meeting was held on March 21st 2006 of church magazine editors, web
site masters and congregational publicity officers.
The following congregations were represented: Mannofield, Cults,
Peterculter, St. Machar’s Cathedral, Kingswells, St. Mary’s, Midstocket,
Torry St Fittick’s, Holburn Central, Holburn West, Queen’s Cross.
In addition, the following congregations returned the form asking for
details about magazine editors etc. but sent apologies for the meeting: Dyce,
Gilcomston South, Craigiebuckler, Mastrick, Oldmachar, Ruthrieston West.
It would be appreciated if the congregations whose magazine editors/web
masters have not replied could still do so and that this report could be
passed on to them.
A few of the points which came up at the meeting
are as follows:
- The need for effective communication to members and to those outwith
our membership was recognised to be very important;
- Some congregations occasionally distribute their magazine to the whole
parish;
- The option of sharing the production of magazines was discussed and
while it was agreed this was impractical on a Presbytery wide basis,
sharing between congregations or within parish groupings is a possibility;
- Some congregations have a letters page in their magazine and create
debates about congregational or wider church issues;
- Some magazine editors seek to include local community news in their
magazines, as well as using other sources for wider church news;
- Many congregations use local community newsletters to distribute
church news;
- The value of the Presbytery Events Diary was stressed, see
www.presbaberdeen.org.uk/events.htm
- The option of congregations using the Presbytery Publicity Officer to
distribute news to the press was mentioned and news items can also be
passed to the Church of Scotland Media Relations Unit at
aallan@cofscotland.org.uk
- 20 congregations (around half of Presbytery) have web sites. Would
those who do not have web sites benefit from a meeting about starting one?
The Presbytery web site carries information
about every congregation and some congregations offer detailed
information, while others offer only brief basic details. Congregations
could make greater use of this facility.
- The value of having a web site is shown in the fact that the average
number of web site hits for some of those present at the meeting was 50
per day and many hits come from overseas;
- It is important to have legible and attractive external church notice
boards and internal notice boards should be kept up to date;
- Some congregations have publicity committees, but few appear to have
designated publicity officers;
- Advice was given about contacting the media and the importance of
calling a journalist back to take time to consider comments over the phone
was one of a number of points made;
- Ministers are always the last to submit copy for their magazine!
The following documents and web sites may be
helpful for church magazine editors and web site masters:
Parish Pump: Each month they produce graphics, news, stories,
children's pages, puzzles, magazine covers, reviews, cartoons, quotes,
jokes, prayers and poems at
www.parishpump.co.uk
The Association for Church Editors (ACE) is a national network of
self-help groups for editors and others involved in the production and
publication of local church magazines and newsletters. It can be found at
http://staging.bacchus.interdart.com/ac_editors_new/index.asp
The Church of Scotland Media Relations Unit produces the Good News
newsletter every month and it can be downloaded at:
www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news/newsgoodnews.htm
Church of Scotland Good Web Work Guide – aimed at those setting up or
updating pages to their parish website:
www.churchofscotlandextranet.org.uk/xhelpdesk/xhdwebsites.htm
Another helpful web site guide can be found at:
http://www.church123.com/index.asp
Church Edit offers a one month free trial for those wishing to
start a church web site or as a means of maintaining one. It offers features
such as daily bible readings, online forms, voting poll, audio etc.
www.churchedit.co.uk
A regularly updated list of all Scottish church news from local and
national press can be found at
www.scottishchristian.com/news
A very useful guide to communicating with the media can be found at
http://www.stalbans.anglican.org/comms/pressadvice.html
The following sites are useful for images:
John Ferguson
Presbytery Publicity Officer
jc.ferguson@virgin.net
01224 735041
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