The Press Service International program in conjunction with Christian Today saw the Kiwi young writers ‘Stand Alone’ in January this year and the International young writers likewise ‘Stand Alone’ in August.
The Kiwi young writers ‘Standing Alone’ refers to the Kiwi young writers themselves engaging in the various tasks involved in seeing the Kiwi young writers get published in Christian Today New Zealand.
This means the coordination role, the editing role, the photo selector role, a theology advisor role, the Facebook uploading role, the NZ Christian media distribution role, the PayPal role and many others.
Once the editor Esther Koh (Wellington) has the articles and the photos, they are packaged and sent to Tim Newman (Nelson) who forwards them to CTNZ editor.
That is the process.
It is entirely done within New Zealand. The PSI national office gets the list of articles and photos as a back-up and to enter the PSI web site archives.
The same process applies to the international young writers which was initiated in August. There is a coordinator, an editor, a photo selector and Jason LaLone in the USA fills the same role for the internationals as Tim Newman does for the Kiwis.
Australians
The Australian young writer program already has most of these scenarios in place in their Week formats.
Week 1 - Coordinator Russell Modlin. Editor Rebecca Moore. Photos Michael Dahlenburg.
Week 2 - Coordinator Rachel Li. Editor Bridget Brenton. Photos Jo Fuller
Week 3 - Coordoinator Susan Barnes. Editor Aira Chilcott, Photos Aira.
Week 4 - Internationals and NZ senior writers
Week 5 - Aust Over 31s Coordinator Ashley Menelaws. Editor Peter Brookshaw. Photos John Lemmon.
The one big change
In April and May 2020 a trial period will commence for the Australians – each Week editor (as listed above) will send their week package of articles and photos to Sam Gillespie the chair of the young writer’s Brain’s Trust who will perform the same duty as Tim Newman (Kiwis) and Jason LaLone (Internationals).
As it currently stands, those packages of articles and photos are sent to the PSI national office (Dr Mark Tronson). He is two years off 70 and this Australians ‘standing alone’ was announced by Russell Modlin at the young writer conference in August.
In June, after two months of trial, it will be formalised.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Dr Mark Tronson’s Press Service International in 2019 was awarded the Australasian Religious Press Association’s premier award, The Gutenberg.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html