Yesterday’s announcement by the century old Christian Science Monitor to cease its daily print edition and divert most of its resources to publishing online, surely sent ripples up the spines of many a newspaper executive. Although mags die left and right or move online, this shift by the ‘Monitor’ away from substantial tree-killing, represents one of the first major newspapers to dump print. Despite its name, the CSM is actually a well respected publication renowned for its international coverage and unlike modern day media companies, wasn’t born out of focus groups or complex shareholder meetings. All it took was a letter by the religiously devoted philanthropist Mary Baker Eddy. Written on August 8, 1908 and addressed to the Christian Scence Board of Trustees, she uses just 50 words to spell out the paper’s creation:

“Beloved Students: It is my request that you start a daily newspaper at once, and call it the Christian Science Monitor. Let there be no delay. The Cause demands that it be issued now. You may consult with the Board of Directors, I have notified them of my intention.”

Although she demanded the “inclusion of “Christian Science” in the paper’s name over initial opposition by some of her advisers” she did maintain some level of church and state, and as noted, “the “Monitor was not established to be a religious-themed paper, nor does it promote the doctrine of its patron church.” Her only request?: a daily fictional religious article in every issue.
|Photo: Rapster|