General Convention Press Staff Appointed
Episcopal News Service. January 11, 1991 [91006]
Staff for the Convention Daily and the news service team for the 1991 General Convention have been appointed, according to James Solheim, director of news and information of the Episcopal Church.
"The issues that are confronting the church will test our skills and ability," said Solheim. "We received many applications for the news team and the Convention Daily, and I am confident that we have put together a staff that can meet the demands that we will face."
Although the news team and the Convention Daily will share facilities, they will carry out different functions to serve their constituencies, according to Solheim.
"The news team will serve as a daily Episcopal News Service," said Solheim. "The team will be the primary source of information for both the secular and church press."
"One of the most important tasks of the news team will be the timely distribution of accurate releases by the team," said Michael Barwell, who will serve as the editor for the team.
The 1991 news service team includes: (1) Mike Barwell, editor of Interchange in the Diocese of Southern Ohio; (2) Jim Thrall, editor of Good News in the Diocese of Connecticut; (3) Steve Weston, editor of Crossroads in the Diocese of Dallas; (4) Nellie Blagdon, editor of The Northeast in the Diocese of Maine; and (5) Jan Nunley, freelance writer, journalist, and student at Episcopal Divinity School.
Responsibility for the financing, production, and distribution of the Convention Daily has been transferred from the news department to Episcopal Life. Jerry Hames, editor of Episcopal Life, says his staff will support the Convention Daily news team in the design and production of the paper and Ruth Nicastro of the Diocese of Los Angeles will serve as its editor.
"The Convention Daily has a different audience than the news service," said Nicastro. She reported that planning for the two staffs had included a "cooperative, interlinked, mutually supportive philosophy."
Nicastro added, "Although we will rely on the news team as a primary source, the Convention Daily will expand the coverage for our target audience, the deputies and bishops. We hope to provide information to help them in their roles as decision makers."
"The Convention Daily will be a paper of record, with primary emphasis on the convention participants. We'll attempt to capture some of the flavor, texture, and personality of the convention," Nicastro said. "And, we hope to present the coverage with a lively style."
The staff of the Convention Daily includes: (1) editor --Ruth Nicastro, editor of Episcopal News in the Diocese of Los Angeles; (2) designer --Jerry Fargo, staff of Episcopal Life; (3) Bob Williams, managing editor of Episcopal News in the Diocese of Los Angeles; (4) Mary Lee Simpson, editor of the Southwestern Episcopalian in the Diocese of Southwest Virginia; (5) Andy Taylor, editor of The Net in the Diocese of Southeast Florida; and (6) Harriet Howard Heithaus, editor of The Beacon, Diocese of Northern Indiana.
"One of the exciting aspects of the convention will be the presence of the Religion Newswriters Association (RNA)," Solheim said. "This will mean more than 50 top secular religion writers will join us in Phoenix. Obviously that will put some heavy demands on our space and energy."
The RNA addition will require a careful allocation of space in the press room, Solheim noted.
"We will have to tighten our credentials process and make sure that only accredited press, including diocesan editors, have access to the room," Solheim said. "In the next few weeks we will begin distributing information and applications for credentials."