New Duties

New occasions teach new duties,
time makes ancient good uncouth.
We must onward move and upward,
who would keep abreast of truth.

– James Russell Lowell

Challenging economic times and cutting-edge technologies combine to create dilemmas for many enterprises. That’s especially so for those, like ours, whose faith, work for justice and peace, and pursuit of truth in search of the common good nudge us to “make all things new.”

No industry today feels the tension caused by these dilemmas more than publishing. The Progressive Christian joins major daily newspapers and other magazines both great and small in trying to figure out how the “ancient good” of traditional print publications can continue to operate cost-effectively in an information environment increasingly shaped by the Internet. 

To print or not to print, that is one of the questions.

With this issue of The Progressive Christian, we are starting an experiment – a sabbatical of sorts from our usual way of doing things – that will unfold across the next two or three issues.  To save money and buy us time for research and, possibly, re-invention of how we operate, we will be changing some of our “production values.” Some of the changes will be obvious. For example, a first step that you will notice will be to print on less costly paper stock. Future issues will display less color and incorporate formats designed for efficiency and the use of Web-based publication.

During this sabbatical time of research and experimentation, we will ask ourselves and you, our readers, these questions: Should we stay attached to the print culture?  Should we move fully into being an online experience? Or, should we seek innovative, cost-effective approaches that somehow preserve a print presence combined with an expanding emphasis on Web publication?

Please note that we are not talking about changing our mission or editorial philosophy.  We believe that what we have to say grows in importance every day as religion in both public and personal life remains a highly relevant, hot-button issue. 

But, we are talking about experimenting with changes in our delivery system and the formatting of content in response to evolving reading habits and new ways to access information. We do so knowing that we are not alone in the struggle to make sense of the information revolution precipitated by the Internet. From small congregations to large corporations, from church newsletters to mega-magazines, it seems everyone is struggling with the dilemmas it poses.

We therefore invite your participation in our “sabbatical”: What do you think we should do?  On what timeline?  Obviously, we intend to honor our commitment to our loyal and appreciative print subscribers.  But, when and how should we begin to navigate toward a world in which print will no longer be dominant or economically sustainable? That world is rapidly approaching!

Can you give us a few minutes of your time and share your thoughts in the “Comment” space below?  If you prefer, you can respond by snail mail (New Duties, PO Box 458, North Berwick, ME 03906) or by e-mail (newduties@tpcmagazine.org).  Or, let us know if you would like to talk with us personally, and we’ll work out a mutually agreeable time to do so.

Most of all, thanks for being the best readers any publication could have or desire. Your support and understanding make it possible for us to “onward move, and upward”!