Episcopal Press and News

Memorandum: Enlarged Switchboard Services

Diocesan Press Service. May 1, 1972 [72046]

At a recent meeting in Chicago of twenty-five diocesan editors and communication leaders (convened by Net 11) , the proposal for an independent Episcopal news service (made by Ben Campbell, editor of The Virginia Churchman) was discussed and a steering committee is now preparing a final draft and budget for presentation.

However, it was suggested by several editors there that the Diocesan Press offer further supportive switchboard services while this proposal is under study. This will be done -- with your help.

When you identify a story which seems of real interest elsewhere in the Church, we ask you to send it in final, edited form to the Diocesan Press office. We will reproduce it for all diocesan editors and mail it to the entire list, including selected secular press people. When you send a story for us to switchboard, please so indicate since we receive regular releases from a number of editors. We will also be able to distribute a limited number of photographs and we ask that you be highly selective of appropriate pictures.

We do not know how many stories and photographs we can reproduce and distribute each month within the limits of our time and budget, but we will do the best we can.

There will be no question about the credibility of " 815." Each story or photograph selected by an editor will appear with a dateline and by-line of the writer and only the editor will know that the envelope containing it came from us ! We must have the stories in final form, however -- not only because we lack the staff to make changes, but because we want this to be a service which is totally switchboard in concept.