Eternity magazine (foundation editor John Sandeman) has been awarded the 2020 Gutenberg on Friday 30 October, the premier award of ARPA - Australasian Religious Press Association, the golden logies of Christian press media.
Published by Bible Society Australia, Eternity is a national news service for Australian Christians. Eternity is named after the famous chalk copper-plate-script by ‘Arthur Stace’ who spent 37 years writing on Sydney’s footpaths — an act of obedience to tell others about his Christian faith, to point people to consider how their actions would echo in eternity.
Editor John Sandeman founded the national newspaper in 2009 with David Maegraith. Their desire was to see a quality news publication created for the Christian audience in Australia.
Free, on request, to schools, churches, colleges, bookshops and cafes, Eternity quickly became Australia’s largest non-denominational Christian newspaper, with an estimated readership of over 100,000 people.
In 2011, Eternity merged with The Bible Society. Under John Sandeman’s leadership, Eternity has provides an outstanding mix of personal testimonies, opinion, national stories of Christian interest, local reflection on international events, in depth issues reporting and news.
The quality of writing and the excellent standard of presentation reflect John’s years of experience in the secular news media and his desire to bring this professional integrity into the field of Christian news.
Online presence
More than 10 years after starting as a monthly printed newspaper, Eternity has built a successful online presence. Digitally, Eternity reaches over 300,000 Australians across social media and the web, and has a 40,000 strong subscriber base for regular email content.
Eternity’s digital offering now includes growing video and podcast content, setting the standard for excellence in digital Christian news media. While COVID-19 has meant the end of the printed publication, Eternity continues as an online news service, accompanied by the Eternity Podcast Network which produces popular podcasts such as With All Due Respect, Undeceptions and Salt.
Eternity content is also featured in the newly-created Bible Society Magazine. It is therefore my great pleasure to present the Gutenberg Award for 2020 to Eternity.
Sophia Sinclair
President
John Sandeman
Last year’s Gutenberg awardee, Dr Mark Tronson of Press Service International, the young writer ministry, the retired Australian cricket team chaplain of 17 years, says of John Sandeman, a veteran journalist of 25 years with the Sydney Morning Herald prior to founding ‘Eternity’ –
“John Sandeman is a fixture with ARPA and makes a massive contribution.
“John Sandeman brings an abundance of experience and good-will, he is by no means a shrinking violet, and when issues need to be clarified he spells out a truly Christian solution. He is articulate, charming and persuasive.
“In my view, John Sandeman through Eternity, has transformed the Christian media landscape by bringing good affirmative Christian stories into households around the nation.
I asked John to speak at the 2017 ‘One Day in Melbourne’ seminar for mainly mission representatives (many of whom miss out on this type of Christian media consideration) where he delivered a remarkable presentation on the philosophy and out-working of delivering the Eternity publication month after month after month.
My hearty wonderful congratulations to John Sandeman and his team at Eternity by being awarded the 2020 Gutenberg.