Magazine Training International (MTI) is pleased to announce that the Evangelical Press Association (EPA) is the first member to join the Crisis Publishing Initiative Coalition.

Coalition members are organizations and individuals who make up a board of reference for the Crisis Publishing Initiative: Professional Training in Covering Crises to be held 15 – 18 October, 2017, in Europe. Coalition members advertise the program to their constituents, recommend speakers, and serve as advisors to program organizers.

“It seems almost every day we hear of crises and tragedies occurring around the ‘world,” says Lamar Keener, executive director of EPA. “When we learned of MTI’s plans to host a Crisis Publishing Initiative in Europe, it made sense that EPA should become part of their coalition. We want to come alongside them and offer whatever assistance we can with the resources EPA has.”

“We are pleased to welcome the Evangelical Press Association as a coalition partner for this initiative.” says MTI President Sharon Mumper. “EPA has been a valued friend for many years and I look forward to working together in the future.”

The three-and-a-half-day Crisis Publishing Initiative is designed for Christian writers, editors, and publishers who face the challenge of reporting on catastrophic events.Participants will learn how to discover and report the truth in complex, rapidly-changing situations and how to offer a biblical perspective to their readers. And, they will receive reliable background information on the crises about which they must write.

The Initiative is organized by MTI, but the organization is seeking co-sponsors who will help cover expenses and who may be directly involved in developing the Initiative program. Co-sponsors give a minimum of $10,000 and are viewed as full partners in the program. Their names and logos are on all Initiative advertising. Contributing sponsors who give a minimum of $2,500 are not viewed as full partners, but are kept informed as the program develops and are encouraged to make suggestions.

“We are also seeking coalition partners,” says Mumper, “organizations who believe in the program, but who may not be able to make a financial commitment to it.”

EPA is a contributing sponsor of MTI’s live workshops, which occur six times a year and provide free training on timely subjects for magazine publishing staff.

by Jennifer Howard, communications director