Strategic plan: new website to launch next spring

A new “NOLA Catholic” website for the Archdiocese of New Orleans – a “one-stop shop” where readers can go for information, news and commentary on the local, national and universal church – is a priority for the first year of a strategic planning process conducted by the Clarion Herald and the archdiocesan Office of Communications.
The study – part of the Catholic Communication Consultation Initiative – began last August and concluded in May. The planning process, which involved soliciting feedback from Catholic parishioners, readers, clergy and archdiocesan staff, was funded through a grant from the Catholic Communication Campaign of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

USCCB funding
The initiative was designed to help bishops and Catholic communications personnel be more proactive rather than reactive in their communications strategy. The end vision for the Clarion Herald is to “serve the Archdiocese of New Orleans as a 21st Century news organization.”

“To be brutally honest, we never would have taken the time to look ahead at the shifting media landscape had we not engaged in this collaborative planning process,” said Peter Finney Jr., executive editor of the Clarion Herald. “We are always ‘too busy.’ The results were affirming because they indicated a profound respect for what we already have in place. They were challenging because they forced us to think in creative, collaborative ways about how best to deliver Catholic news in the future to our many audiences. This was a lot of work, but it was time well spent.”

The biggest goal for the first year of the three-year plan is creating a comprehensive website for local and international Catholic news and commentary, including all ministry and event information in one place. Work on the site will begin in the fall, and the site should launch in the late spring of 2015.

Dominic Perri, who was the planning facilitator, worked with the Communications Office and the Clarion Herald to design the process, collect the needed data and develop a strategic plan for each entity.

Strong support for Clarion
Among the most impressive results uncovered by the study were the high marks received by the Clarion Herald from its readers. Nearly 1,000 people – an impressive total, according to Perri – responded to a survey in which 78 percent identified the Clarion Herald as either their “best” or “fair” source of information about the archdiocese and the universal church.

Seventy-two percent of respondents indicated the Clarion Herald provided “useful” information about the church and their faith.

The study established priorities for the Clarion Herald for 2014-15: increasing the amount of content related to catechesis and evangelization; updating the Clarion Herald website and social media presence; expanding its weekly email news; deepening its relationship to parishes through visits to parishes and deaneries; and conducting a focus group of Catholics under age 40.

In year two (2015-16), the Clarion Herald will continue its catechesis and evangelization efforts, develop a mobile app for the web, increase digital ad sales, work with the Office of Communications on an integrated calendar of events and review its frequency of publication.

The priorities for 2016-17 include examining a possible magazine format for selected special sections such as the Catholic Wedding Guide, upgrading software and hardware for digital transmission of news and helping train parishes and other Catholic entities on how to submit stories.

In a May 20 letter to priests, Archbishop Gregory Aymond said the planning process was fruitful.

“It was clear from the results of the research that the work of the communications office and the Clarion Herald is important to and highly respected by our local church,” Archbishop Aymond said.

The archbishop also had several suggestions for pastors on how best to help the Clarion Herald and the Office of Communications reach some of their strategic plan goals.

Please hand out with bulletin
He strongly urged pastors to have ushers pass out the Clarion Herald with the bulletin as people leave church at weekend Masses.

“This is the best way to get the paper into parishioners’ hands,” the archbishop said.

He also urged parishes, schools and other Catholic organizations to advertise their upcoming events and parish/school-based activities in the Clarion Herald, in print and online.

“Think ‘Clarion Herald First’ for advertising,” the archbishop said, noting that Catholic readers are an ideal “target audience” with whom to promote Catholic events.

The archbishop also encouraged parishioners to download the new “Where Y’ at Mass Finder” app for iPhones and Android devices, and to include both the archdiocesan and Clarion Herald social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) in their online viewing.

The Clarion Herald has a Facebook and twitter account (@clarionherald); Archbishop Aymond is on Facebook under “Archbishop Gregory Aymond”; the archdiocese is on Facebook at “Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans”) and on Twitter and Instagram at @archdioceseofno.

Among the priorities for the Office of Communications over the next three years are developing a proactive communications strategy, a master calendar of story opportunities, a marketing plan for ministries of the archdiocese based on the results of the Ninth General Synod and extending its use of digital media.