The winners of the Central Communications Board 2013 Communications Competition for the best newsletters/magazines, websites and innovative use of social media and blogs by parishes, dioceses and church organisations were announced today, Saturday 11 May, by the Archbishop of Armagh at the General Synod in the Armagh City Hotel. The competition was run by the Church of Ireland Press Office but externally judged by media professionals working in the field of church communications.

As Archbishop Richard Clarke said in his Synod Presidential address on Thursday 9 May, ‘Much of the actual delivering of the Gospel is effected at what we tend to call ‘local level’, in the work, worship and witness of local communities – clergy and people collaborating and working together’ – this is very true of church communications work too and the competition demonstrates how entrants put enormous effort into communicating effectively within their own contexts. The judges praised the submissions in each category, with clear evidence of communication work of a very high standard reaching right across the island.

Constructive feedback is available for all entrants – please get in touch with the Church of Ireland’s Press Officer, Paul Harron.

In the Parish magazines/newsletters category, there were many entries in various different formats: some were straightforward monthlies, modestly produced, while others were produced quarterly and very professionally designed and produced.

The judging comments for printed material were as follows:

‘Publishing a magazine is challenging and hard work. We commend all the editors, writers, designers and photographers who have worked on these publications, and also the folders, staplers, distributors and others who get them into people’s hands.

‘When putting together a magazine, you need to think first and foremost about who you are speaking to. Is this a way of the parish priest speaking to the congregation? Or is it a means for church members to learn about ach other? Or is it a vehicle for the church to speak to the wider community? Unless you are clear about your audience, your communication will be poor.

‘The front cover of the magazine is vital. It needs to draw you in. Several parish magazines didn’t even have a name, or had front covers that had inanimate pictures, or no picture at all. What is the impact, for instance, of a front cover which shows rows after row of beautifully ordered but empty seats?! Resist the temptation to put a picture of the bishop on the front cover too, however handsome! We want to know that the magazine has something to say to the parish.

‘Images are vital, but photos of large groups of people rarely work. Choose a big close–up, with something going on. Posed photos should be avoided too. Action shots are far more interesting.

‘The look and feel of the magazine communicates just as much as the content. For this reason, parishes need to think about how their magazines are reproduced. Some are printed on domestic printers; others are photocopied. Photographs that are photocopied rarely work well. Using a commercial printer might not be as expensive as you think, and could improve the feel of your communication. The magazines in A4 format work better and tend to have more “credibility” than the ones in A5.’

• First prize: Union Focus – Naas Union of Parishes
This magazine has a great mix of content – including some accessible Bible teaching – and lots of good pictures.

• Runner Up: Rossory News
This was praised for its great use of pictures and scored very well on its quality of presentation and editorial content.

In the Diocesan magazines category –

• First Prize: Derry & Raphoe Dioceses’ N:Vision
This was felt to be full of good content with a wide range of interest and exceptional design.

• Runner Up: Connor Connections
Praised for lots of interesting content and good use of colour.

• Highly Commended: Limerick & Killaloe’s Newslink
Judged to contain lots of good content and the best cover!

In the ‘Other’ organizations Printed Publications category –

• First place goes to Friends News (Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin)
This magazine has a glossy and substantial feel, and is a really good read with lots of variety.
• Joint Runners Up: Links Mothers’ Union Dublin and Glendalough and Focus All Ireland Mothers’ Union magazine

Links speaks of knowing what the audience likes. The design is attractive and colourful.

Focus has a good mix of editorial content, nicely laid out.

In the Parish Websites category the external judges looked for innovation, freshness, quality of design and layout and outreach potential. The standard of entries was strong. The judges said that this was a varied category, as the parishes within vary in location, congregation and opportunity. Singled out for praise were ‘all those that get service information on the home page. One thing we all forget too often is that our audience for these sites is not those who already attend our churches.’

• First place: Lisburn Cathedral
Winning once again, this website was praised for: good design, nice graphics and being easy to follow. This site has lots of space and a simple but good use of images.

• Runner Up: Booterstown & Carysfort Parish
This parish website has a ‘good, clean design. Great use of photos and easy to navigate. The “Family occasions” button is very effective – it’s important for us all the remember that those coming to our websites may not know much about the church, but still feel it important to be involved.’

• Highly Commended: St Augustine’s Parish, Londonderry
In recognition of the stiff competition in this category, it was felt that a Highly Commended prize was also required, which goes to St Augustine’s for its strong design.

In the Diocesan websites category the judges said ‘This was a tough category to judge – all were good.’ However –

• First place: Derry & Raphoe
Praised for being ‘clean, readable and simple’.

• Runner Up: Down & Dromore
‘Clean design, and lots of ways for people to stay in touch.’

• Highly Commended: Down & Dromore Youth and Children
‘Great idea to put the videos online – fun to watch, and easier for people to join in when new. ‘

In the ‘Other’ affiliated organizations website category –

• First place: St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin
‘A simple but effective site for a complex operation. Maintaining a building as both a tourist attraction and place of worship is hard, and the same is true of the online presence. So this site does a good job of balancing both aspects, with clear information for both worshippers and visitors.’

• Runner Up: The Dock
‘A good website, with a clever visual pun in the logo and a strong sense of what it is for.‘

The 2013 competition again invited entries for the most innovative use of ‘social media’ over and beyond websites and also a separate category for Blogs. Here, the competition was looking to see how churches, church organizations and members engaged with the huge developments in social networking. Communications activity continues to increase markedly in these areas.

Social Media
First Place: St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Facebook Page
‘A fantastic Facebook page. Informative: not only of Cathedral’s events but also of Cathedral’s history. Outstanding photography. The strength of this page is also reflected in the number of “Likes” it has received so far.’

Runner–up: Canon Patrick Comerford’s Facebook Page
‘An engaging page. Patrick Comerford’s outreach on social media is admirable. He shares his theological and cultural knowledge in a way that is accessible to others, and this is reflected by his social media following.’

Highly commended: St Werburgh’s Church, Dublin Twitter Stream
‘An excellent example of how to use Twitter. St Werburgh’s Church Twitter stream shows a high level of engagement with others (through retweets; tweets to others and the number of people the church follows) as well as informing others of the church’s events, offering reflections and engaging with current affairs. A good number of followers too.’

Blogs
First Place: Revd Chris Bennett Down and Dromore – http://www.the-dock-org
‘A wonderful, innovative example of how social media can be used in a church context. An attractive, thought–provoking and enticing blog. Fantastic use of video and images. User–friendly and welcoming. Keep going!’

Runner Up: Revd W S Monkhouse http://ramblingrector.wordpress.com
‘An engaging and compelling blog voice on theology and everyday life. Cultivates readership. Good use of photos. Consistency in form and style. User–friendly archiving. Great job!’

Highly Commended: Canon Patrick Comerford CITI http://revpatrickcomerford.blogspot.ie/
‘An erudite and impressive blog, both in terms of the scope and the frequency of posts. Lots of thought has gone into this blog and its shows. Extremely detailed. Excellent use of photos. Easy–to–use archives and search engine. Well done.’

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