Parish Magazine: Time for a rethink ?.

For several decades now the main channel of communication in Silverton has been through the CofE produced parish magazine. Whilst it has, for obvious reasons, always been centred on the local church of england parishes it has also carried news from the other christian churches in the area and reports from most of the main social organisation within the village. Whilst it has performed a very useful task in allowing the churches and other organisations \to communicate with the people many it would seem from conversations that I have had, that its limitations are becoming more apparent when it is \set against other publications of the same type.

Most people would recognise that Silverton has undergone major social changes in recent decades, not least in that an increasing percentage of the population are now either newcomers or are people who probably are not going to be residents in the long term. Its also true that an increasing number of people do not have the Christian church, in whatever form as the centre of their lives and an unknown number within the village who reject the church in whatever form it takes. This means that there is a growing need for a publication that while it does the job currently done by the existing magazine, is able to engage with a broader layer of people within the village and to articulate a wider vision of what it means to be a Silvertonian in the 21st century. There is also an urgent need for such a publication to encourage debate and discussion within the village on the range of important issues such as the 'we live here' initiave recently discussed by the parish council, that people are going to have to engage with in the current climate of increasing and accelerating social change.

A good model that might be worth looking at is the equivelant magazine in Thorverton. This is a lively and well produced magazine that encourages participation from its readers. Although internet publications like this blog can do some of the required work it has to be recognised that in order to reach, and engage with the largest number of people there is still the need for an imaginative and lively print publication.