America's Largest Catholic Newspaper
Later this year the Archdiocese of New York will launch an innovative digital news platform, one that is designed to evangelize and engage our audiences on a daily basis. A dedicated team has been working diligently for several months developing this new entity.
One of the most difficult aspects of this exciting new project is that we will be forced to say farewell to our friends and colleagues who have worked in a committed manner for years, in telling the story of this archdiocese through Catholic New York. For more than 40 years, CNY has been the finest Catholic newspaper in the country, and has been known for the high-quality writing, first-rate reporting, creative photography and thoughtful commentary that it has consistently provided.
So why make this difficult decision to change? The archdiocese had to face the inescapable reality that the media landscape has undergone significant change, and a biweekly print newspaper was no longer the most effective way to speak to our Catholic faithful and the broader community. It was time to utilize all of the modern and innovative communications channels now available to us.
Storytelling will still be at the heart of what we do, although for the first time these stories will be told with short videos, in addition to written articles, photography and longer essays. The new, quick-publishing model that is in development is sure to bring excitement and vitality to the archdiocese’s communications efforts.
Before we can begin our new venture, however, we must acknowledge the dedicated team that tirelessly published the news every two weeks for their loyal readers.
There will be those who will justifiably lament Catholic New York’s passing, who will feel that “something is missing” for some time. But, over time, the readers of Catholic New York will surely come to rely on this new digital platform and appreciate the news and storytelling that it will present.
For now, please join in thanking all who contributed to Catholic New York and honor the high bar they have set.
Joseph Zwilling is director of communications for the archdiocese, and Rachel Sheehan is director of marketing for the archdiocese.
