DESCRIPTION OF OUR ORGANIZATION
NCR is a 501(C)3 organization.
Our tax exempt number is: 43 - 0815211
Established in 1964, National Catholic Reporter (NCR) is a newsweekly, published 42 times a year and stands as one of the few, if not the only truly independent, journalistic outlet for Catholics and others who struggle with the complex moral and societal issues of the day. Approximately 23% of the U.S. population identifies itself as Catholic, the largest religious body in this country, and NCR is the only significant alternative Catholic voice that provides avenues for expression of diverse perspectives, promoting tolerance and respect for differing ideas.
Simply put, NCR is a religious paper with worldly interests; and though a large amount of its reporting deals with issues of the Catholic Church, an equal amount of its coverage is a marriage of the religious, political and social forces shaping public policies and institutions. We are concerned for all people and we are committed to shaping a world that recognizes the dignity of every human being, regardless of religious belief, sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other characteristic. Throughout our history, we have been a voice for the disadvantaged and the marginalized, and we have told the stories of injustice that others simply will not print. Over the years, NCR has provided a strong and thoughtful alternative to mainstream media; for instance, as apparent in our coverage of the war on terror and security matters during the past four years, a special series on Latin America last year and other critical national and global issues.
TV journalist and author, Bill Moyers, wrote the following on the occasion of our 40th anniversary in 2004:
In Tom Stoppard’s play “Night and Day” one of the characters—a news photographer—says, “People do terrible things to each other, but it’s worse in places where everybody is kept in the dark.” Because a closed society cannot be a free society, the quality of journalism and the quality of democracy are inextricably bound. I believe this to be so in matters of religion, too; it is impossible for me to imagine that our Creator would find a closed mind compatible with seeking truth that sets us free.
Without the faculty of self-correction all political and religious institutions, given time, go bad. For decades now the National Catholic Reporter has been courageously committed to independent journalism whose only aim is real news—the news we need to keep our freedom. In a time when a handful of megamedia conglomerates control more and more of what we read, see and hear, NCR remains faithful to journalism as a moral calling, obliged to get as close a possible to the verifiable truth. I would, as a citizen, be poorer without it; so would American democracy.
NCR can and has exercised decisive influence on the 67 million Catholics in this country and it can help shape its democratic institutions. Religion should expand the dialogue, not contract it.
NCR’S PAST AND CURRENT RANGE OF ACTIVITIES
National Catholic Reporter has been the recipient for the last six consecutive years of the highest award for journalism from the Catholic Press Association.
It reports on a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to:
Social justice in the U.S.
Social justice around the world
U.S. public policies
U.S. war policies
Peace and nonviolence
Human rights
Wealth and responsibility
Environmental stewardship
Education
World Religions
The nonproliferation of WMDs
Globalization
Emerging scientific endeavors
Stem cell research
Human sexuality
Reproduction rights
Oppression of women
Clergy sex abuse crisis
Roman Catholic Church
Latin America
The Middle East
NCR publicly promotes the following values:
• Justice – bringing light to darkness, hope to the marginalized of the world
• Renewal – operating out of the spirit of the Second Vatican Council
• Human Dignity – respect and honor for all members of the human family
• Compassion – making forgiveness and love foundational in our actions
• Inclusiveness – embracing the global family, its rich diversity and the sacredness of all creation
• Excellence – striving to achieve the highest quality of journalism