GOOD NEWS SELLS!
The gospel (good news) does not make dull copy, contrary to popular beliefs. This was proven by Charles M. Sheldon, a Congregationalist minister, author of In His Steps, back in 1900. He challenged the editor of The Topeka Daily Capital to appoint him editor-in-chief of the newspaper for one week. He would run the newspaper according to the dictates of Christ. The editor accepted the challenge. Sheldon banned smoking, drinking, and profanity in the newsroom and eliminated advertisements for patent medicines, corsets, and sporting events. Signed editorials were front page copy; and crime, society events, and theatrical notices were played down. A page one story about a famine in India included an appeal for contributions. The paper collected more than one million dollars in aid to send to Bombay. Reporters from across the U.S. converged on Topeka to cover the event. As a result of the experiment, daily circulation jumped from 15,000 to 367,000. Critics credited the increase to novelty…
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