Using the Voice of Hope (VoH) Enterprise, the Italian Union of Seventh-day Adventist Churches (UICCA) brought to life Adventist Media Center’s “Hope Media Italia,” which has already taken strides to change the style of the union’s communication, taking its strengths into consideration. To find out more, we turned to Vincenzo Annunziata, director of the UICCA Communications Department and the new media center.
Adventist News: Why create this new structure?
Vincenzo Annunziata: In Italy, the Adventist Church welcomed the challenge of using new technology in the field of communication. We saw the importance of having a unique brand that identifies Adventist communication and information internally and externally. The Adventist communication structure in Italy is composed of various entities: radio, television, internet, and the printed word.
Today, there is no longer a specific identity for each of the various channels of information, rather, the identities are merging because digital communication provides a unique multimedia approach through radio and video podcasts, information on the internet and on social media. Considering this new approach, a single editorial direction has been created for the new multimedia center, with a singular portal for informative articles, radio, television, and social communication.
A. N.: What are the tasks of this center?
V. A.: This center will oversee the coverage of internal information through news from the various departments and institutions, institutional and biblical events at both the local and national levels, along with special events. The coverage of external information is divided into themes based on areas of interest – for example, interreligious dialogue, spirituality, environmentalism and conservation of creation, support and development, health, family, individual and public ethics, human rights, law and justice, and many others – and specific historical events that are not contained within the previously listed categories will be evaluated from time to time.
A. N.: What is the structure of this new unit?
V. A.: Apart from a board that oversees everything, the center has an editorial staff and technical operations. The director of the UICCA Communications Department is the board’s representative for the planning and management of the center’s activities, which will be coordinated together with the main editor-in-chief for the Adventist Media Center. The editorial staff includes the radio’s editor-in-chief, the religious publications’ editor-in-chief and 12 editors from various areas. Also present are six other people for all the technical services, graphics, and video.
A. N.: What will happen to the different communication groups for the Church in Italy? V. A.: Basically, the radio will continue to transmit via its FM channel and through DAB (digital audio broadcasting) where it is currently possible, as well as using satellite channels and internet streaming. The same goes for the Adventist Messenger (a monthly magazine) which will continue to provide a printed version by monthly subscription. The digital products will be continually published on the current separate platforms: internet, the two Adventist apps, VoH Italy, and television, both on the website and the Hope Channel Italia Youtube page.
A. N.: In conclusion, what is the goal of this center?
V. A.: The goal is to create a singular portal that includes internet articles, video and audio podcasts, as well as providing biblical courses by email and online. We hope that this new structure, which has already been operating for some months and taking its first steps, will better serve the Italian Adventist Church and be a center of information.
For more information on the center, you may visit www.hopemedia.it.