The Role of Church Magazines in Traditional Churches of Suriname

Abstract

This paper examined how traditional church magazines fulfill their role in communities at present. The theoretical framework to which the traditional churches counted for is made clear. Besides, a historical survey of these church magazines has been made over the past decades by a source survey. The editorial policy and management of the newspaper as a business is also under review. In addition, using questionnaire research, it was investigated what the readers themselves think of the Christian information provision. Based on the findings of the survey, the following is apparent: Most of the respondents are under thirty years, belong to the female gender and from Afro-Surinamese origin. Most of the respondents are not subscribers to ecclesiastical newspapers but read them regularly. The cultural themes are the most read and then the political ones. The edifying themes read the respondents little because they are not interested in these themes. Mostly non-observers miss themes about young people, special events of the church where ordinary church members are involved and the ecclesiastical life of every day. 

Most of them have the desire to read these newspapers. There is, however, a number that does not feel the need to read them. Moreover, it is unknown of an equally large number of respondents if they read Christian newspapers. It is remarkable that most of the non-queers do not want changes in the layout of church magazines — the small number that does want changes with the content; content selection, readability, clarity, and layout.

Glenn Cooman (BA in Journalism) submitted May,1992