I was a bundle of nerves and excitement when art director Carol Moskot and I arrived at Transcontinental Printing in Owen Sound, Ont., just over a year ago. We were about to see the launch issue of Broadview roll off the presses.
We settled into a comfy lounge and waited to be summoned through the noisy, cavernous printing room to a small booth beside the giant presses. There, under bright lights, the press operators showed us pages of Broadview, and together we scrutinized every detail to ensure that the balance of cyan, magenta, yellow and black was as close to perfect as possible.
We didn’t leave the plant until 2 a.m. and had slept only a few hours when we were called back to see the finished product emerge from the presses.
It might have been the lack of sleep, but Carol and I were utterly giddy as we watched bundles of newly minted magazines drop out of a machine and onto a conveyor belt. Years of visioning, research and planning — and finding the courage to change — had culminated in that moment.
Below: The first issue coming off the presses!
This issue marks the first anniversary of Broadview, a magazine that is both new and old, with predecessor publications dating back to 1829. In the past year, we’ve continued to push forward by engaging new writers, photographers and illustrators, enhancing our online presence, and publishing some of the best faith-based journalism in North America.
One of our goals at the outset was to reach new subscribers, and I’m happy to report that we’ve secured a foothold toward a sustainable future.
But another, perhaps loftier, goal was to bring the values of social justice, ethical living and progressive Christianity into the national discourse. So when media outlets such as the CBC and APTN showcase Broadview stories, and when subscribers start Broadview reading clubs or send us emails and Facebook comments, it means those conversations are happening.
If there’s a secret to our success, it’s this: throughout all the changes in this first year, we’ve kept our audience — you — at the centre of everything we do. And we intend to keep our audience-centric focus now and in the future. After all, without our readers there would be no publication.
A few days after that visit to the printing plant, I came home from work to find the first issue of Broadview in my mailbox. My stomach flip-flopped as I pictured thousands of Canadians coming home to the same surprise. Would you like what you saw? In the days and weeks that followed, hundreds of subscribers told us the new magazine had exceeded all expectations. It’s been an honour to produce Broadview for you ever since.
Broadview is an award-winning progressive Christian magazine, featuring stories about spirituality, justice and ethical living. For more of our content, subscribe to the magazine today.
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