Innovation, done out of love, is very much at the heart of the idea for New City Magazine when Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, launched it in 1964. Her vision for New City was for it to become a path to fraternity, a tool for dialogue at all levels. Since then, more than 37 editions of New City have been published in different countries around the world; New City Philippines is one of them. In this period of isolation, we have a great need for Chiara Lubich’s vision. As this year marks her birth centenary, it is fascinating to learn, through the exhibits and many testimonials about her life, that this Italian woman, while pursuing a higher purpose, always did it strategically. She was deeply cognizant of the challenges to unity in the 20th century. We too, need to do the same if we truly wish to fulfill her vision in the 21st century.

COVID-19 has given us a great moment for soul-searching; and this is especially true for media companies. Here I am mindful; the Philippines is the land of great journalists and many have given their lives for truth and freedom. But while we have individuals who are heroes, what about the news channels or magazines of our time? How can media act as a tool for dialogue at all levels? Just recently, in a scathing letter to The New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger, opinion editor and writer Bari Weiss, who just resigned, wrote this:

“Twitter is not on the masthead of The New York Times. But Twitter has become its ultimate editor. As the ethics and mores of that platform have become those of the paper, the paper itself has increasingly become a kind of performance space. Stories are chosen and told in a way to satisfy the narrowest of audiences, rather than to allow a curious public to read about the world and then draw their own conclusions. I was always taught that journalists were charged with writing the first rough draft of history. Now, history itself is one more ephemeral thing molded to fit the needs of a predetermined narrative.”

A rather harsh comment. But let us dig deeper at why, even the esteemed New York Times feels the pressure of bowing to the trending lines of Twitter, instead of being faithful to the words of Adolph Ochs (former owner) in 1896: “to make of the columns of The New York Times, a forum for the consideration of all questions of public importance, and to that end, to invite intelligent discussion from all shades of opinion.”

Even before COVID-19, the news media business model has been heavily disrupted. In Asia, large news media groups had to look for new owners to go digital and thrive in the new world. One example is the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong’s storied newspaper, that had to turn to another billionaire to remake itself. Many other news media groups are trying to transform and evolve, but they have not been easy due to the continuous decline of ad revenues. The national paper of Singapore, The Straits Times, is, for the most part, able to survive solely because of diversified holdings in other businesses, such as in real estate.

This crisis has made it worse. In the US alone, since the pandemic began, more than 36,000 employees in the news media business have either been laid off, furloughed, or had their pay reduced. Given such a competitive climate, in the name of relevance, many news media agencies have turned to follow the lead of Twitter to ensure that they continue to drive traffic to their online news platforms which then generate revenue. But this creates another problem. A safe place that seeks to be a platform for dialogue must be able to strike a balance between purpose and profit. If this is not managed well, it cannot be a fair facilitator of the debates that matter in what the World Economic Forum has termed The Great Reset for our world triggered by this pandemic.

If we wish New City Philippines to be effective and relevant, we cannot just be content with being able to reach everyone in these 7,641 islands. We have to find a way to be creative for its message to reach to the ends of the earth. There needs to be a myriad other approaches to go beyond the traditional forms of what makes a magazine. The first premise for any new idea, in my opinion, is to always remember what the first intuition was. In the case of New City, Chiara’s wish was for it to become a path to fraternity, a tool for dialogue at all levels. Then in every New City initiative, we need to examine ourselves carefully, are we a path to fraternity, are we engaging in dialogue at all levels? All levels means truly all: from children to workers, to the clergy, to members of other religions, to entrepreneurs, and even to politicians. It may be daunting but as Chiara has assured us: love does not stop, so neither should we until the world is one.

In every article of another celebrated newspaper, The Guardian (UK), there is this beautiful call to action:

“We chose a different approach. Will you support it? With news under threat, just when we need it most, the Guardian’s quality, fact-checked news and measured explanation has never mattered more. Our editorial independence is vital. We believe every one of us deserves to read honest reporting – that is why we remain with you, open to all. And you are visiting in your millions. But at this crucial moment, advertising revenue is plummeting. We need you to help fill the gap. Every contribution, however big or small, is valuable – in times of crisis and beyond. Support the Guardian today.”

For those of us reading this, we are here because we believe in the mission of New City, which is to be a media organization that shows the path towards fraternity and is a tool for dialogue. So the best way we can overcome this long siege of isolation and disruption to good media is to help build a greater community to support this, here and everywhere. On average, on our social media platforms, we must have at least another 100 friends; let them know that there is another kind of news magazine that is about love, about being human, and being a global family. I think if each one of us can do this, then New City Philippines can not only continue to be a beacon of hope, but with each new listener, reader, or participant, it will also come closer to its goal of shaping a united world.

 Lawrence Chong