The Christian Science Monitor
227687
225208588
2008-07-12T13:47:17Z
John
764861
lose flagcruft
{{Infobox_Newspaper |
name = The Christian Science Monitor |
image = <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Christian_science_monitor_logo.jpg|175px|centre]] -->|
caption = |
type = Daily [[newspaper]] |
format = [[Berliner (format)| Berliner]] |
foundation = 1908 |
owners = [[Church of Christ, Scientist]] |
headquarters = One Norway Street<br>[[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] 02115<br>[[United States]] |
editor = Richard Bergenheim |
price = |
circulation = |
oclc = |
ISSN = 0882-7729 |
website = [http://www.csmonitor.com/index.html csmonitor.com] |
}}
{{Articleissues|rewrite=July 2008|POV=June 2008}}
'''''The Christian Science Monitor''''' (CSM) is an international [[newspaper]] published daily, Monday through Friday. Started in 1908 by [[Mary Baker Eddy]], the founder of the [[Church of Christ, Scientist]], the paper does not use [[news agency|wire services]] and instead relies largely on its own reporters in bureaus in nineteen countries around the world.
Despite the name, the CSM is a newspaper that covers current events around the world. The paper does not attempt to evangelize.<ref name="AboutCSM">{{cite web
| title = About the Monitor
| publisher = The Christian Science Monitor
| url = http://www.csmonitor.com/aboutus/about_the_monitor.html
| accessmonthday = February 5 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> With the exception of a daily religious feature on the [http://www.csmonitor.com/homeforum The Home Forum] page, the content represents international and [[United States]] news.
As of 2005, the print circulation is reported to be 71,000 but has a much larger online readership.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.collisiondetection.net/mt/archives/2005/04/many_newspapers.html | title=The Christian Science Monitor > The Wall Street Journal | author=Clive Thompson | date=2005-04-23}}</ref>
== Concept and inception ==
Despite its name, the ''Monitor'' was not established to be a [[religious]]-themed paper, nor does it promote the [[doctrine]] of its patron church. However, at its founder Eddy's request, a daily religious article has appeared in every issue of the ''Monitor''. Eddy also required the inclusion of "[[Christian Science]]" in the paper's name, over initial opposition by some of her advisers who thought the religious reference might repel a [[Secularity (non-religiosity)|secular]] audience)<ref name="AboutCSM">{{cite web
| title = About the Monitor
| publisher = The Christian Science Monitor
| url = http://www.csmonitor.com/aboutus/about_the_monitor.html
| accessmonthday = July 10 | accessyear=2008}}</ref>.
The ''Monitor's'' inception was, in part, a response by Eddy to the journalism of her day, which relentlessly covered the sensations and scandals surrounding her new religion with varying degrees of accuracy. In addition, [[Joseph Pulitzer]]'s [[New York World]] was consistently critical of Eddy, and according to many historians, this along with a derogatory article in McClure's Magazine, furthered Eddy's decision to found her own media outlet.<ref name="AboutCSM" />
Eddy declared that the ''Monitor's'' mission should be "to injure no man, but to bless all mankind."<ref name="AboutCSM">{{cite web
| title = About the Monitor
| publisher = The Christian Science Monitor
| url = http://www.csmonitor.com/aboutus/about_the_monitor.html
| accessmonthday = July 10 | accessyear=2008}}</ref> Since its founding, the paper has won the [[Pulitzer Prize]] for [[journalism]] seven times. It is particularly well known for its in-depth coverage of the Middle East, publishing material from veteran Middle East specialists like [[John K. Cooley]].
The ''Monitor'' was originally published in [[broadsheet]] form but today it is published in [[tabloid]] format. The newspaper has struggled since the 1960s to enlarge its circulation and turn a profit. The church's directors and the manager of the [[Christian Science Publishing Society]] were purportedly forced to plan cutbacks and closures (later denied), which led in 1989 to the mass protest resignations by its famed editor Kay Fanning (an [[American Society of Newspaper Editors|ASNE]] president and former editor of the ''[[Anchorage Daily News]]''), managing editor David Anable, associate editor David Winder, and several other newsroom staff. These developments presaged administrative moves to scale back the print newspaper in favor of expansions into radio, a glossy magazine, shortwave broadcasting, and television. Expenses, however, rapidly outpaced revenues, contradicting predictions by church directors. On the brink of bankruptcy, the board was forced to close the broadcast programs.
Due to its church ownership, the "Monitor" largely avoids coverage about medicine, disease and death; articles that discuss these topics are carefully vetted for language viewed as inappropriate or unnecessary per church doctrine.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} Obituaries typically don't mention the cause of death, and the ages of people in stories are rarely mentioned.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
== Modernization ==
The print edition continued to struggle for readership, and, in 2004, faced a renewed mandate from the church to turn a profit. The ''Monitor'', more quickly than other newspapers, turned to the [[World Wide Web]] for its future. The Web offered the paper the opportunity to overcome the severe cost and logistical difficulties of mailing out a daily international newspaper. The ''Monitor'' was one of the first newspapers to put its text online (in 1996), and also one of the first to launch a [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] edition (in 2001). It was also an early pioneer of [[RSS (file format)|RSS]] feeds. The former editor was [[David Cook]].
More recently, the website has struggled to support itself with [[advertising]], while the print edition continues to lose money and has been forced to lay off staff. In 2005, [[Richard Bergenheim]], a [[Christian Science practitioner]], was named the new editor in a shakeup.
== Reporter kidnapping ==
In 2006, [[Jill Carroll]], a freelance reporter for the Monitor, was kidnapped in Baghdad, and released safely after 82 days. Although Carroll was initially a freelancer, the paper worked tirelessly for her release, even hiring her as a staff writer shortly after her abduction to ensure that she had financial benefits, according to Bergenheim.<ref>[http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=1505775 "Carroll Reunited With Family in Boston," Associated Press, April 2, 2006] (accessed April 4, 2006)</ref>
Beginning in August 2006, the Christian Science Monitor published an [http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/carroll/index.html 11-part account] of Carroll's kidnapping and subsequent release, with first-person reporting from Carroll and others involved.
==Galloway scandal==
In April 2003, several news organizations including the Monitor reported that [[George Galloway]] was accused by a U.S. Senate Committee led by Norm Coleman of personally profiting from abuses of UN Oil-for-Food programme. These documents were forgeries.<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0620/p01s03-woiq.html Galloway papers deemed forgeries | csmonitor.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
== Monitor Radio ==
'''Monitor Radio''' was a radio service produced by the [[Church of Christ, Scientist]] between 1984 and 1997. It featured several one hour news broadcasts a day, as well as top of the hour news bulletins. The service was widely heard on [[public radio]] stations throughout the United States, as well as several [[shortwave]] transmitters. The service ceased operations on June 28, 1997.
== Awards ==
The CSM has been the recipient of 7 [[Pulitzer prize]]s, the most recent in 2002.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.csmonitor.com/ ''Christian Science Monitor'' website]
* [http://www.csmonitor.com/aboutus/about_the_monitor.html Official ''About the Monitor'' web page]
* [http://www.current.org/rad/rad708m.html ''Christian Science Church puts Monitor Radio up for sale'']
* [http://www.current.org/rad/rad711m.html ''Monitor Radio goes dark at end of this week'']
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian Science Monitor, The}}
[[Category:Christian Science|Christian Science Monitor, The]]
[[Category:National newspapers published in the United States|Christian Science Monitor, The]]
[[Category:International newspapers|Christian Science Monitor, The]]
[[Category:Christian Science Monitor people]]
[[Category:Newspapers published in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Media in Boston, Massachusetts]]
[[de:The Christian Science Monitor]]
[[es:Christian Science Monitor]]
[[fr:The Christian Science Monitor]]
[[nl:Christian Science Monitor]]
[[ja:クリスチャン・サイエンス・モニター]]
[[pl:Christian Science Monitor]]