Media, journalists, and communicators from Catholic dioceses and organizations across the country are wrapping up the 2018 Catholic Media Conference today. The four-day conference was held in downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin, and was hosted by the Catholic Press Association. Experts, influencers, and decision makers gathered to share knowledge and best practices to help the Church advance in press and communications efforts.

Rev. Francis Hoffman, ‘Father Rocky’, Executive Director of Relevant Radio^®, spoke at the conference on Thursday. The room was packed for his presentation, 3 Tips for Social Media Success, and was well received by attendees. Father Rocky discussed the history of communications in the Church and where technology and communications are headed. He expressed the need to reach out to people where they are with a message of beauty, truth, and hope, and explained that digital media can be a very useful tool to assist in evangelizing the culture and building relationships.

While social media, voice speakers, and live video have become important means of digital communication, Fr. Rocky expressed that “word of mouth is still the most effective means of communication. There is no substitute for face to face interaction.” In a world where we are inundated with messages from every angle, people are ever more hungry for authentic human relationships.

The keynote speaker for the conference was Dr. Nataša Govekar, Director of the Department of Pastoral Theology in the Vatican Secretariat for Communication. The Drew Mariani Show^TM received their first place Gabriel Award in the ‘News and Informational, National Release’ category at the Gabriel Awards Reception and Banquet held during the conference on Thursday, June 14. Relevant Radio was a sponsor of the 2018 Catholic Media Conference.