REVIVAL RADIO's Lorna Farrell interviews a 'kindly Christian' publisher ...

Lorna Farrell is an accomplished sports journalist and is now a presenter at REVIVAL RADIO. Here she asks publisher Duncan Williams about his Christian faith and his recent lobbying work within the media.
 


Williams explains how he has been a lifelong Christian and how he has much gratitude for the firm bedrock provided by his early church influences and background.

 
Tell me about your background and how you first came to a Faith?

DUNCAN WILLIAMS: I grew up in a positive and very loving church background. My paternal Welsh grandfather was a rural C of E vicar. He had a great, engaging speaking voice and communicated a strong message to both his family and our local community. (He also had a fine sense of humour and was able to retain the attention of even the most stubborn and wilfully drifting mind ... )

LF: What impact does it have on your professional life - and has it
always been like this?
DW: Good news and a positive message can be beneficial, interesting and fun.

LF: What are the aims of the venture you are involved in now?
DW: To offer good news, truth, revelation and fun in a various accessible media formats ...

LF: What kind of response have you had to this ethics driven approach?
DW: Readers and advertisers seem in agreement that a new era of ethics is much needed in the UK press.

LF: Is sport worth all the advertising/coverage/time it's given ,
especially for Christians?
DW: Sport can be a very positive way to feel part of a group. Loyalty through ups and downs, support when it is needed. Respect for team leaders. Praise and joy during times of victory. Yes, I think sport has very many positive parallels that Christian groups can benefit from.

LF: What kind of response /support have you had from other Christians?
DW: Christian and faith groups have been amazingly positive in relation to all my many media endeavours over the years. Most recently theMediaNet afforded me the opportunity to serve on their Steering Committee during their first year of launching. I met so many positive people of faith and God led conviction who work in the media. I cannot express just how valuable this has been to me and I hope theMediaNet goes on to grow and inspire other people for very many years to come!

LF: What kind of response/support from NON CHRISTIAN , INDUSTRY
PROFESSIONALS?
DW: Sadly, the secular media industry has not always as treated me as positively. I suppose as a publishing company owner and shareholder, I have found rival media companies to be less and less inclined to offer their media outlets and communication channels to be fully supportive our titles' endeavours. The recession has made this more prevalent; obviously, good business sense dictates a need to ignore highlighting the virtues of a competitor's output or products ... This is unfortunate but, I guess, inevitable.

LF: Is this shift in moral / ethical fibre apparent in other aspects of
our culture?
DW: We are living in an interesting period of huge change and major shifts. Spiritually, economically and politically we are evolving to embrace a new era and the media has a chance to relay these patterns.

LF: How can people get involved or support you in your work?
DW: Without spending a penny, maybe you can follow me on twitter or join one of my newspaper or magazine facebook pages..! Or more profile of our work and aims in your local news media.

LF: Whats next? ...
DW: To give more back; to continue to use proceeds from my many media business portfolios to fund social education, rehabilitation, lobbying and expand new training opportunities in communities throughout the UK.

LF: What advice would you give to folks burdened to see change in areas
that they might think are too "big" to tackle?
DW: Get into like-minded groups, work together. Learn to communicate well and know each other well. Be clear on your group aims and purposes. Focus on minimising launch costs and maximising output. However big the obstacle , if your aims are worthwhile, you will eventually succeed in overcoming your barriers and burdens ...

LF: How does God give you the guidance and encouragement you need to
keep going?
DW: I pray regularly and seek counsel from close friends. God steers, I row. As a result, I remain strong in the arm and get a canny sense of direction...