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Not to be confused with the National Catholic Register
The National Catholic Reporter (NCR) is an independent newspaper published since October 1964 by lay and religious of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It is circulated in the United States as well as ninety-six other countries on six continents. The paper is not a member of SIGNIS, has no official church oversight and frequently dissents from official Church teaching.
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Founding of the paper
The paper is based in midtown Kansas City, Missouri. The founding editor in 1964 was Robert Hoyt. In 1968, the NCR was officially condemned by bishop Charles Herman Helmsing.[1] When the paper was first founded, Bishop Helmsing provided diocesan office space and funds until the paper was able to move to the building where it continues to this day. In the late 1960s, Bishop Helmsing objected most specifically to the paper’s strong stands on birth control, priestly celibacy and criticism of the hierarchy, citing an imbalance in news coverage. A total of 66 Catholic journalists signed a petition during this time to support the stances of NCR.
Unlike diocesan publications or those of religious institutes, it is independent of ecclesiastical oversight. Therefore, the NCR often dissents from official Catholic Church teachings in some areas.
Editors
Writers for the NCR include Richard McBrien, Joan Chittister, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, John Dear, and John L. Allen, Jr.. Tom Fox returned as Editor in July, 2008. He was NCR publisher from 1998 through 2003, and previously was NCR Editor from 1980 to 1998. For years the paper was published weekly. It is now published twice monthly. NCR has recently added RSS feeds so readers can get regular updates on its content.
Positions
Because of the inclusion of advertising and articles concerning issues at odds with official church teaching (i.e. women's ordination, artificial birth control, etc.) the National Catholic Reporter is regarded by some as a "progressive" publication.[citation needed] It sees itself as a faithful, loyal voice for the laity.[citation needed] It has a reputation with some for holding authority accountable, both secular and church, but is also referred to by some as the "National Catholic Distorter"[citation needed]. The NCR gave informal media support to Father Roy Bourgeois until he was excommunicated in 2008.
Awards
NCR has won the General Excellence award from the Catholic Press Association in the category of national news publications each year from 2000 through 2007. NCR was the first U.S. publication to write about the clergy sex abuse scandal. Its coverage began in 1985 and for at least five years was virtually alone in drawing attention to the widespread abuses.
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External links
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