Catholic Standard is 70 years

Accra, Oct. 17, GNA - The Catholic Standard Newspaper is celebrating its 70th anniversary this October, Mr Jacob Yirerong, Chairman of the Board of Standard Newspapers and Magazines Limited, announced on Friday with a promise to improve the content of the publications.

"The Mission of 'The Standard' is to serve as the voice of the voiceless, reflecting the truth and at the same time, committing itself to socio-economic development and civic education of Ghanaians while fostering unity and promoting evangelism," he said. At a press conference to launch the 70th anniversary celebration, Mr Yirerong said the major challenge facing the company was how to get honest, dedicated and committed people to manage the marketing and printing departments.

The anniversary celebration on the theme: "70 Years of Propagating the Word Through The Standard," would be marked with activities including a lecture by The Most Reverend Charles Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra on October 22, on the topic: "The Role of the Christian Media in National Development."

Other activities include a Nuncio Awards Ceremony, scheduled for October 23 and a Thanksgiving Mass at the Holy Spirit Cathedral on the October 26.

Mr Yirerong appealed to Catholic and non-Catholic businessmen and women to help the paper with adverts to make it more economically viable. Mr Isaac Fritz Andoh, Managing Editor of the Standard, said by the end of the year the paper was sure to have 16 pages instead of the current 12 pages.

He called on journalists who are Catholics to help the paper by sending stories and articles to the paper to make it more vibrant. Mr Andoh also called for criticism from the public and journalists to help make the paper a desired one. The history of the paper dates back to 1903, when the Society for African Missions (SMA) priests established a printing press at Cape Coast to print a newspaper called The Dux which was transformed into The Standard in 1938. The paper was officially registered as a national weekly in 1940. The paper went through various challenges including being banned from 1985 to 1992. The Catholic Standard bounced back onto the news stands in December 1995 and has since been published regularly.