Communicators' Survey Analysis Completed
Episcopal News Service. July 9, 1984 [84145]
CINCINNATI, Ohio (DPS, July 12) -- An extensive survey of Episcopal diocesan communications has revealed disparities in job responsibility and range beyond what might have been expected based only on size.
The 30-question survey was undertaken for the Episcopal Communicators by David Sumner, communication officer of the Diocese of Southern Ohio. He distributed the questionnaire at the Episcopal Communicators' meeting held at Kanuga Conference Center in April and by mail to those unable to attend. Questions covered topics of publication description, budget, editor's job description, and editorial policies and practices. Of the 100 questionnaires distributed, 59 were returned.
Responses indicate that the majority of diocesan editors are part time, although some of these work full time for the diocese with responsibilities divided between their publication and other areas, including video. Laity outnumber clergy nearly two-to-one, but men and women's numbers are about equal. Most have some professional background or training in communications.
Diocesan publication budgets range from $3,500 to $127,000 per year, with circulation figures going from 1,600 to 40,000. The most common format is that of the tabloid, with the majority having eight pages and publishing ten times per year. Nearly a quarter are published as inserts in The Episcopalian.
Salaries, too, run the gamut. Some editors are volunteers, while the highest-paid full-time editor makes $34,000 per year, including housing allowance. Others are paid by the page, hour, or issue. For most there are few, if any, perquisites or fringe benefits.
According to Sumner, results of the survey "indicate that dioceses get what they pay for in terms of output." The 18 quarter-time editors produce an average of 59 pages per year; 17 half-time editors an average of 72 pages; and nine full-time editors an average of 109 pages per year. Of the quarter-time editors, only one had received an Episcopal Communicators award in the last two years.
One finding Sumner feels is likely to disturb many is the discrepancy between full- and part-time editors in terms of salary and remuneration. While the full-time editors surveyed averaged $26,770 per year, the half-time editors averaged only 30 percent of that: $8,288. Quarter-time editors fared even worse, with an average salary of $3,910 per year, or 14 percent of full-time editors and 47 percent of half-time editors.
Although there were some who felt constrained and/or frustrated, most editors -- particularly those whose work is full-time -- report being given considerable leeway, including the freedom to write editorials and to be critical of the bishop and others. In general, however, they felt more able to criticize the national church than their own bishop and diocese.
An observation which may lead to re-thinking on the part of some editors was that there is a correlation between editorial freedom and the existence of a written editorial policy.
In general, the editors seemed to have positive feelings about their work. More than half think their publication has improved over the last five years, with many citing specific examples such as increased size, improvement in layout and design, added staff (though none has more than one additional full-time staff person), greater frequency of publication, more photos, increased circulation, and obtaining in-house typesetting equipment. This is supported by comparison with a similar survey done in 1980, which reveals an increase in average size of the papers from 7.75 pages to 8.1 and an increase in the mean budget figure of 38 percent, or 9.5 percent per year.
Sumner closed his report with a number of recommendations based on the survey's results. These will be considered for possible endorsement by the Episcopal Communicators' Board.