Editing Development communication (section)

==== Catholic Church: sample communications policies ====
Christ commissioned the Apostles to preach the Good News to the whole world, a mission extended to all Christians today. Communication therefore is part of following Christ. Being committed to spread the Good News, the Catholic Church has always been at the forefront of communications – from oral preaching, catechesis, personal friendships, small or big groups gatherings (openly or in secret where Christians are persecuted, even in present times), manual copying in papyrus or parchments scrolls, artwork, architecture, oral traditions, printing, theaters, tri-media and online, etc.

For academic studies within the Catholic setting, [[Pontifical Universities in Rome]] offer Bachelor's, Licentiate and Doctoral courses on Church communications, lasting three to six years.

The following guidelines, and communication as a whole, should, as Prof. Flor states, "be employed for the service of others" (Chapter 3, p.&nbsp;7).<ref name=":15" />

'''Catholic Church Communications at the universal Church level: The Pope's Roman Curia'''

The Roman Curia,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/index.htm|title=The Roman Curia - Index|website=vatican.va|access-date=2018-05-17}}</ref> or the Pope's central administrative office, has a Secretariat for Communication, which coordinates all the media realities in the Vatican:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/papa-francesco-motu-proprio_20150627_segreteria-comunicazione.html|title=Apostolic Letter issued 'Motu Proprio' "The current context of communications" for the establishment of the Secretariat for Communication (27 June 2015) {{!}} Francis|last=Pope Francis|website=w2.vatican.va|access-date=2018-05-17}}</ref>
Pontifical Council for Social Communications
Holy See Press Office
Vatican Internet Service
Vatican Radio
Vatican Television Centre
L'Osservatore Romano
Vatican Printing Press
Photo Service
Vatican Publishing House

This setup is replicated in various degrees in countries all over the world. Communications policies are left to the regional, national or parish levels, rather than having a unified policy for the Catholic Church in the whole world.

Many documents, in the form of reflections or guidelines, have been published on different topics related with communications.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/index.htm|title=Pontifical Council for Social Communications|website=vatican.va|access-date=2018-05-17}}</ref> In this website, one document dates back to 1936, an Encyclical Letter of Pope Pius XI, called "Vigilanti Cura", manifesting his thoughts on the "Motion Picture" as it affects the moral and religious life of Christians.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_29061936_vigilanti-cura.html|title=Vigilanti Cura (June 29,&nbsp;1936) {{!}} PIUS XI|last=Pope Pius XI|website=w2.vatican.va|access-date=2018-05-17}}</ref>

'''Example of Catholic Church Communications Policies at the Regional Level:''' '''CELAM'''

The Consejo Episcopal LatinoAmericano (CELAM), is the umbrella organization of 22 Episcopal Conferences (groups of Latin American and Caribbean Catholic Bishops, usually by country).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.celam.org/|title=CELAM - Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano|website=celam.org|language=es|access-date=2018-05-17}}</ref> Its office is based in Bogotá, Colombia, and has a Department of Communications and Press.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.celam.org/dep_comunicacion.php|title=CELAM - Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano|website=celam.org|language=es|access-date=2018-05-17}}</ref>

While no Communications Policy is posted on CELAM's website (nor is any retrievable online), there is a link to a presentation of the Department's four programs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.celam.org/programas/COMUNICACION_Y_PRENSA.pdf|title=DEPARTAMENTO DE COMUNICACIÓN Y PRENSA|last=CELAM}}</ref> Specific objectives contained therein could be considered as general directives indicating what the different lower levels of Church organization should undertake (my own translation from Spanish follows):
Common Communication Efforts in Communion and Dialogue towards Fraternity
Formation and Expression in Communication for the Development of the Culture of Encounter and the Announcing the Good News
Communication for the Transformation of Reality Towards the Fullness of Life of our Peoples
Inter-institutional Communion and Dialogue (within the Church)

CELAM is situated at a very broad level, covering part of North America (Mexico), the whole of Central and South America, and the Caribbeans. It is quite typical for Church documents at a high level, to focus heavily on principles, objectives and generalized directives; meanwhile, the concrete communications policies would be left to the local levels.

'''Example of Catholic Church Communications Policies at the National Level: USCCB Social Media Guidelines'''

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) "is an assembly of the hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands who jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of the United States.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web|url=http://www.usccb.org/about/|title=USCCB|website=usccb.org|language=en|access-date=2018-05-17}}</ref> As its Introduction states, "These guidelines are offered as a synthesis of best practices. They include material compiled from church entities, for-profit corporations, and non-profit organizations", presented as an aide to come up with local or organizational communications policies when it comes to the social media.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usccb.org/about/communications/social-media-guidelines.cfm|title=Social Media Guidelines|last=USCCB|website=usccb.org|language=en|access-date=2018-05-17}}</ref>
It begins with guiding principles, quoting from Pope Francis: "Communication is a means of expressing the missionary vocation of the entire Church; today the social networks are one way to experience this call to discover the beauty of faith, the beauty of encountering Christ. In the area of communications too, we need a Church capable of bringing warmth and of stirring hearts".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/communications/documents/papa-francesco_20140124_messaggio-comunicazioni-sociali.html|title=XLVIII World Communications Day, 2014 - Communications at the Service of an Authentic Culture of Encounter|last=Pope Francis|website=w2.vatican.va|access-date=2018-05-17}}</ref>

Social media is a powerful instrument, changing the way people communicate. Pope Benedict XVI says that the Church has to be involved in social media to advance its mission of spreading the Good News, at the same time encouraging respect and dialogue, true friendship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20090124_43rd-world-communications-day.html|title=43rd World Communications Day, 2009 - New Technologies, New Relationships. Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship|last=Pope Benedict XVI|website=w2.vatican.va|access-date=2018-05-17}}</ref> In addition, the Church encourages a responsible use of these social media, in the midst of opportunities and challenges when it comes to visibility, the community and accountability.<ref name=":16" />

The USCCB document tries to cover all the areas in social media, suggesting the following elements to be included when parishes or other Church organizations develop guidelines: define boundaries, include examples of codes of conduct, define instructions, recommendations on dealing with offenders, providing trusted sites, and reminding administrators of their broad audience. Guidelines are also provided for organizational and personal sites, and social networking with minors.

'''Example of Catholic Church Communications Policies at the Local Level: St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, in Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA'''

These policies pertain to the parish's:

Internal Communication, such as:
Mass Announcements
Welcome/Newcomer Information
Mailings to parishioners
Email communications
[[Parish bulletin]]
Parish events for parishioners
Distributed materials

and External Communication, such as:
Marquee on the parish sign
Media interviews
Parish events open to public
Parish website
Press releases
Social media
Community Solicitations<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.smmcc.org/205|title=Communications Policy & Procedures|work=St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church|access-date=2018-05-17|language=en|archive-date=18 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518054517/https://www.smmcc.org/205|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Being a parish that serves the churchgoers, St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church tries to make clear the procedures that would make the communications processes as efficient as possible. The document is quite detailed, allowing the reader (whether a parish employee, or the public) to know exactly how to proceed in each scenario.