Good news/bad news on the Vatican PR overhaul
By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Jun 29, 2015
The good news: The Vatican has a new streamlined media operation, with one office responsible for coordinating all communications work.
The bad news: that office is staffed by four Italians and one Argentinean-- all of whom have been working for the existing Vatican media groups and/or the Italian bishops’ conference. So while the organizational chart will change, we can't be sure the attitudes will change. And if the goal is more effective public relations, wouldn't it be useful to have some perspective from England and the US: the countries that have invented and dominated the PR industry?
Almost exactly three years ago, the Vatican brought in an outsider, an American with a solid background in journalism, to act as “communications adviser” to the Secretariat of State. Where’s Greg Burke in the new line-up?
Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.
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Posted by: leeanne50 -
Sep. 13, 2016 7:02 PM ET USA
And probably more concerned about the ingredients in the peanut butter than in the embryo culture media. After all, the peanut butter is going into his body, not what ever the embryo picked up from the culture medium.
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Posted by: bernie4871 -
Jul. 03, 2015 4:16 PM ET USA
I too would like to know - where is Greg Burke? He was a breath of fresh air and now I realize he has apparently disappeared.
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Posted by: ElizabethD -
Jun. 29, 2015 6:09 PM ET USA
I have wondered ever since Greg Burke went to work for them, what happened to Greg Burke because he practically has not been heard from since then, which seems so strange.
