U.S. Catholics are “people of hope,” said Kerry Weber, executive editor of America Media. “But in challenging political times and in times of polarization, it’s not always easy to recognize it.”
That is partly why Ms. Weber is so excited by a $5 million grant from the Lilly Endowment as part of an invitational round of the endowment’s Storytelling Initiative.
“The Lilly grant is going to give us the opportunity to tell our stories in a more in-depth way and tell new stories that we may not have had the resources to tell otherwise,” she said. “Particularly when it comes to the Features section, it’s already allowed us to hire photographers, to do portraits, to line up some travel for stories that are really going to be enhanced by having people on the ground.”
Ms. Weber said that the focus will be on telling stories that offer hope in the church.
“We will be paying special attention to places and people that are lifting people up and shining light on the good in our church and our world.”
America Media was one of 12 organizations that tell stories of Christian life in the United States that were initially invited to apply, though the initiative has since been opened to other outlets.
“It’s a way for us to reach out to diverse audiences to share stories of hope and acts of love and show how Christians are experiencing their faith,” said Heather Trotta, executive vice president of America Media.
“Oftentimes we talk about the latest news or a scandal or stories about parishes or schools closing,” she said. “But with this grant, we are challenged to find those stories that may not be at the forefront but offer hope within the church.”
America Media’s partnership with the Lilly Endowment began with the Compelling Preaching Initiative, Ms. Trotta said. That led to the “Preach” podcast, the expansion of “One-Minute Homily” from The Jesuit Post and the build-out of America Media’s mobile app. During ongoing meetings with the endowment, representatives from America Media shared both challenges and successes of the project with other grantees and took part in a storytelling cohort through the Compelling Preaching Initiative.
“This engagement fostered greater efficacy across our tools for preachers,” Ms. Trotta said. “We anticipate the same level of engagement for America Media’s Storytelling projects that will help America maximize this incredible and important opportunity.”
Ms. Trotta believes that partnership, along with America Media’s multiplatform capacity—its ability to tell stories through a print magazine, newsletters, online and through the America app—helped pave the way for the latest grant award.
Among those stories will be a feature written by Michael O’Loughlin, executive director of Outreach, on Arrupe College in Chicago. Arrupe, a two-year degree-granting college of Loyola University Chicago, is reaching a demographic that previous Jesuit universities did not adequately serve, one that may serve as a model for other institutions.
“The resources from the grant will help us highlight realities of lived faith that may not be the most told, but they are diverse, they are important, and they are more local in many ways,” according to Kat O’Loughlin, grant manager at America Media. “And we will use different multimedia tools—more short form videos, podcasts with videos—and focus on reaching our audience in new ways.”
“The Lilly team has always been very responsive and supportive, and we feel like true partners in this work,” Ms. Trotta said. “When you’re on the phone with them, you feel like you’re the only grantee. But you know they have hundreds of others in their portfolio.”
The Storytelling Initiative will allow America Media to provide richer content, better photographs and compelling stories through podcasts and live events, and to develop a documentary film and short video explainers, Ms. Trotta said. Part of the grant will also help upgrade the America Media website to better present stories that will reach a broader online audience.
“I am really excited to see all the great work that we can do,” Ms. Trotta said. “I think people will be even more hungry for these stories. It’s incredible to consider how these stories can bring people closer to God’s goodness.”
The initiative will help organizations raise awareness of “the vibrant ways that Christians practice their faith through acts of love and compassion in their everyday lives,” Christopher Coble, the Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion, said in a statement.
“For centuries, Christians have shared their faith with others by telling stories,” he said. “But storytelling practices have never been static. Christians have used new communication technologies and media formats, such as radio in the early 20th century and social media in the 21st century, to share with others compelling accounts about their faith.
“We hope that these 12 organizations, along with those that will participate in the next round of the Storytelling Initiative, will continue this tradition by fostering a fresh wave of Christian storytelling for today.”
