The Media Insight Project released a study in May identifying keys to the future for news sources like The Alabama Baptist (TAB). The keys were not surprising — content, funding and readership — but some of the findings related to the various keys were.
The report stated, “The most important reason given for subscribing was that the publication had significant editorial expertise” in an area of interest to the reader.
That finding has two parts. One relates to the reader; the other to the publication. In the case of TAB that means readers have to be interested in growing as Christian disciples. The ministry’s vision statement declares, “The Alabama Baptist will help empower Baptists to live out the biblical concepts of Christian discipleship in their personal lives, their professional lives and their lives within the community of faith.”
That is why the paper is filled with resources for personal Christian growth, reports of what God is doing around the world, insights about moral and ethical issues, Bible study helps, training opportunities, information about Baptist life and much more.
TAB will not be of interest to one whose relationship to God is not a priority but if one is interested in growing as a disciple of Christ then what this ministry offers should be considered.
The second part of the finding is the publication’s expertise in covering the topic. Awards are not a guaranty of expertise but they do indicate the quality one can expect to find in a publication.
Among top in nation
It is important to know that 11 times in the past 21 years TAB has been selected as the top regional Christian newspaper in the nation by at least one of the three major ecumenical journalism associations. And for 20 consecutive years the ministry has been selected as among the top three regional Christian newspapers in the nation by one of those groups. They are Associated Church Press, Evangelical Press Association and Religion Communicators Council.
TAB celebrates its 175th anniversary Feb. 4, 2018. In December 2018 it will celebrate 100 years as an Alabama Baptist entity. That history attests to quality and expertise in informing, inspiring and connecting Alabama Baptists for discipleship and service.
All writing staff are active members of Baptist churches. Some hold theological degrees. Some have been international missionaries. All are national award winners. The more than 175 awards hanging on the walls of the office building attest to the ministry’s expertise as Christian journalists.
Funding TAB
Funding has been a challenge for TAB since its beginning and it still is. The subscription price is artificially low to make the publication affordable for churches to provide for their active resident families. At 27 cents a week no church can say it is too big an investment to make in growing Christian disciples.
The subscription price only covers printing and postage. The Cooperative Program contributes toward salaries and operating costs. Increasingly, however, the publication must look to advertising to help balance the books.
TAB has the third largest circulation among newspapers in Alabama (behind The Birmingham News and the Mobile Press-Register) and reaches one of the most desirable audiences from an advertising standpoint. Still the challenges are great. Some of the state’s legacy companies refuse to partner with TAB because of the word “Baptist” in the name. TAB is classified a general circulation publication by the Alabama Press Association and falls near The Birmingham News on the list of newspapers in the state. Yet some businesses are afraid of associating with anything as sectarian as “Baptist.”
Partnering with TAB
That is hard to understand when Baptists also make up the largest affinity group in the state.
Some think advertising is inappropriate for TAB. Some business leaders who are regular readers of TAB have trouble picturing their businesses in the publication, on the ministry website or one of the other products produced. They say it might lessen the quality of the paper.
Others have read the paper but never think about partnering with TAB.
To be honest, there are a lot of ads TAB does not accept because it is inappropriate for the purpose of growing Christian disciples. But advertising we do accept helps build quality businesses because advertising in TAB works. Businesses win by reaching a desirable audience and readers win by having information about reliable services and products.
TAB helps connect the business and the client and, at the same time, gains needed funding to undergird continued ministry.
Regional editions
To encourage Baptist business owners to partner with TAB, the publication prints three regional editions every week — a Tennessee River edition, a metropolitan Birmingham edition and a Montgomery–Mobile edition. This allows targeted advertising for specific areas of the state that match the reach of local TV stations.
We continue to pray that Christian business leaders will consider partnering with TAB to build their businesses and to help undergird the ministry of Baptist communications.
Readership — the third key — relates to personal reaction to the publication. The study found 40 percent of new subscribers started because a friend or family member recommended it. Word of mouth testimonies still beat all other types of promotion.
Sharing with others
Readership studies document that about 25 percent of TAB subscribers share their copy of the publication with someone outside their immediate family. That is great. Hopefully a recommendation to subscribe to TAB could go along with the shared copy.
People who read and appreciate the publication can encourage Sunday School class members and others to subscribe. Even a word to the pastor, church treasurer or some other decision maker in the church could be helpful.
More than two out of three Baptist churches in Alabama provide TAB to any member who asks for it. So encourage others to ask for a subscription. And be assured that those of us privileged to work in this valuable ministry will continue to do our best to provide quality news and information about growing as Christian disciples. We will diligently pursue finding partners to undergird the ministry financially.
But all of that is in vain if you, your family, friends and fellow church members are not benefiting from the resources it provides to personally grow as Christian disciples. You play a vital part. You are a key to the future.
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