June 18, 2011, issue |
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| Editor in Chief | Marvin Olasky |
|---|---|
| Categories | news, religion, culture, politics |
| Frequency | Biweekly |
| Circulation | 110,000 |
| Publisher | Nickolas S. Eicher |
| First issue | 1986 |
| Company | God's World Publications |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Asheville, North Carolina |
| Language | English |
| Website | WORLDmag.com |
| ISSN | 0888-157X |
WORLD Magazine is a biweekly[1] Christian news magazine, published in the United States of America by God's World Publications, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Asheville, North Carolina.[2] WORLD differs from most other news magazines in that its declared perspective is one of conservative evangelical Protestantism.[3] Its mission statement is "To report, interpret, and illustrate the news in a timely, accurate, enjoyable, and arresting fashion from a perspective committed to the Bible as the inerrant Word of God."
Each issue features both U.S. and international news, cultural analysis, editorials and commentary, as well as book, music and movie reviews. In addition, WORLD also publishes an end of the year issue that covers the top stories from the previous year, obituaries, and statistics.[4]
Contents |
Launched by Joel Belz in 1986 as a replacement for The Presbyterian Journal, an at-that-time 44-year-old publication that had been founded specifically "to challenge the assumptions and activities of the liberals and to return the [Southern Presbyterian] denomination to its biblical moorings," WORLD was intended to serve "an educational rather than an ecclesiastical task--a vision focused on the importance of a biblical worldview for all of life." It started small--only about 5,000 initial subscribers, and only 12,000 after three years.[5] The publishers initially requested donations in every issue to stay afloat. It has grown significantly in the years since, and as a non-profit organization, it continues to accept donations as its publishers have expressed the hope of creating a larger Christian news-gathering organization.[6] As of April 2008, it had reached a circulation of about 123,000.
Currently, Nickolas S. Eicher is the magazine's publisher and Marvin Olasky is its editor in chief, with Mindy Belz as editor, Timothy Lamer as managing editor, Jamie Dean as news editor, and Janie B. Cheaney, Susan Olasky, John Piper, Edward E. Plowman, Andrée Seu, Cal Thomas, Gene Edward Veith, and Lynn Vincent as senior writers. The reporting staff is made up of Emily Belz and Edward Lee Pitts. Other contributors include Megan Basham, Mark Bergin, Anthony Bradley, Rebecca Cusey, John Dawson, Daniel James Devine, Paul Glader, Joel Hannahs, Amy Henry, Meghan Keane, Michael Leaser, Angela Lu, Jill Nelson, Daniel Olasky, Arsenio Orteza, and Tiffany Owens. The magazine's art director is David K. Freeland, with Robert L. Patete serving as associate art director. WORLD's CEO is Kevin Martin, while Warren Cole Smith serves as associate publisher.
WORLD received widespread national media attention in 2009 when its former features editor and current senior writer Lynn Vincent was tapped[7][8] to collaborate on former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's memoir,[9][10] Going Rogue: An American Life.
In an August 29, 2009, cover story, [11] WORLD reported on the scandal-tainted C Street house in Washington, D.C., and the secretive organization behind it, the Fellowship, a.k.a. "The Family." Scott Horton of Harper's Magazine noted,[12] "As the lede makes clear ('an organization big on protecting its own and small on church ties and theology'), [WORLD 's] attitude is critical and exacting. The piece looks like serious journalism, much like the publication’s exposé work on Ralph Reed and other scandals in the past." WORLD's coverage of C Street house also caught the attention of MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, who on her August 17, 2009, show said,[13] "The article exposes The Family‘s mysterious money trail and describes the C Street scandals using the word 'scandal' and argues that The Family subscribes to a, quote, 'muddy theology' and it harbors, quote, 'a disdain for the established church.'"
The magazine's website, WORLDmag.com, is headed up by Web Executive Editor Mickey McLean and includes online-only "Web Extras" written by the magazine's editors, reporters, writers, and contributors, as well as daily news briefs and commentaries, podcasts, and editorial cartoons.
In March 2011, WORLD released an electronic version of its magazine for the Apple iPad, which is available to download through Apple's App Store.[14] In November 2011, WORLD released a version of the magazine for the Amazon Kindle.
WORLD also introduced in 2011 WORLD Virginia, its first in what's planned to be a network of student news bureaus providing expanded online coverage of state and regional issues. WORLD Virginia is edited by Les Sillars and is associated with Patrick Henry College. WORLD California, edited by Angela Lu and associated with Biola University, and WORLD New York, edited by Tiffany Owens and associated with The King's College (New York), were launched in the fall of 2011.[15]
In September 2011, WORLD launched WORLD on Campus, a news site designed for students from age 15 to 25.[16] Leigh Jones serves as editor.
On August 6, 2011, WORLD, in partnership with the Salem Radio Network,[17] launched a weekly two-hour radio news program called The World and Everything in It.[18][19] Hosted by WORLD Publisher Nick Eicher and veteran radio producer Joseph Slife, the program airs weekends on Salem stations and features reports, interviews, and analysis from the magazine's editorial team.
In February 2010, WORLD began broadcasting a daily news report hosted by Publisher Nick Eicher. This Is News from WORLD Magazine airs weekdays on the Bott Radio Network and other radio stations across the United States.
WORLD, in partnership with the Salem Radio Network, also produced a special radio program to commemorate Memorial Day 2011, which aired on stations across the country over the Memorial Day weekend.[20]
Since 1998, WORLD has chosen a "Daniel of The Year". Having a different emphasis than TIME's Person of the Year, the Daniels exhibit bravery in defense of God's authority and not their autonomy. The honor is named for the main character of the book of Daniel in the Bible.
In conjunction with the American Bible Society, WORLD presents an annual Hope Award for Effective Compassion to small Christian ministry organizations that do effective work in helping those in need without receiving government funding.
Since 2008, the editors of WORLD have selected a Book of the Year, which recognizes a Christian book and author that effectively tackles a topic important to the evangelical community in a timely manner. Each Book of the Year is prominently featured in the magazine's annual Books Issue. WORLD selected co-Books of the Year in 2011.