An attempt to do what may crudely be called making
religion news is a pretty delicate undertaking. The Church of England Commission that has been considering the question for the last two years has its hesitations at any rate about the use of the actual advertisement columns of the Press ; therein I think it is wise. Important as the whole problem is, it is beset with difficulties. For what is publicity sought? The Church as an organisatiop,..or the spiritual truths for which the Church stands? I imagine the former, and it is possible that the £2,000-a-year Information Secre- tary whom it is proposed to appoint may be able to make aspects of the Church's work look so interesting that the papers will give publicity to them on the ground of their news-value and nothing else. But that raises the whole question of what news-value is, and why most so-called religious news comes rather low in the scale. The fundamental fact is that it is the business of the editor of a daily paper to fill his columns with what, in his judgement, is the best news he can get. So far as Church news falls in that category it will be printed. So far as it clod not, even a £20,000 Information Secretary will labour in vain.
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