Welcome to the Catholic Media Association

The Catholic Media Association builds relationships and community for Catholic media professionals throughout North America and beyond. Journalists, communications experts, media and public relations professionals, advertising and marketing specialists, and others join the CMA for this network where relationships help support one another in mission.

Members benefit from annual conferences, awards programs, educational sessions, grant-supported consultations, and best practice communication efforts. You’ll be connected to the greater Church through national and international members, through its affiliation with the USCCB, Vatican representation at the annual Catholic Media Conference, and its membership in SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication, approved by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and uniting media associations world-wide.

As a member, you are welcome to join a committee, facilitate an educational session, attend the conference, vote for leadership and become a member of the board of directors. We are excited to have you as a member – join now!

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
Our members join for a variety of reasons. Some join for networking and career growth, others for the fellowship of our industry, and still others simply for our awards program. Whatever your reason for joining, the CMA provides resources to help you thrive in your profession.

GIVING CATHOLICS A VOICE
The seed of the association was planted over 120 years ago. It finally blossomed in 1911 with the understanding that a united group could best serve the needs of the Catholic faith and the right to protect that faith with viable publications. The need for this unity is just as strong today as it was in 1911. The CMA allows members to connect with each other to exchange ideas. In addition, the CMA connects its members directly to bishops and the Vatican through conferences and webinars, and it provides a number of services to keep Catholic communications professionals and their colleagues strong.

TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The CMA provides opportunities for members to receive grant-supported assistance and training in a variety of areas related to their work. Many members have requested assistance in analyzing their workflow, business practices and operational procedures. Others have received assistance to develop integrated communication plans, crisis planning and specialized skill-set training.

CONTENT-FIRST DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SERIES
The pandemic forced many of members to change work habits and establish processes for working remotely. The CMA helped with this transition by creating a training series which enabled dozens of organizations and over 150 individual participants to leverage current technology, streamline their work processes, build team efficiencies, and open the door for new products.

LEARN FROM COMMUNICATIONS AND PR EXPERTS
The CMA partnered with the PR Training Academy to offer members online training to PR, Journalism, Media and Communications practitioners across the world. Training courses include crisis communications, social media, podcasting, mobile journalism and more.

CMA DIRECTORY
A key benefit of CMA membership is the ability to connect with others facing similar opportunities and challenges as you. The CMA provides access to members through the website. Plus, the Catholic Media Association issues an annual directory of current members, including publications, publishers, communication professionals, freelancers, service providers, and other media professionals.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTORS NETWORKING CHANNEL (Please contact the CMA office to request access: Membership@CatholicMediaAssociation.org)
As a privilege of membership, the CMA keeps communication professionals connected through its networking channel. Members reach out to each other on a regular basis to exchange ideas and solve problems.

CATHOLIC MEDIA CONFERENCE
The annual Catholic Media Conference allows members to gather and discuss issues of concern to Catholic journalists and other Catholic communications professionals. Master camps and education tracks create tailored experiences for those seeking professional development.

ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM
The CMA promotes excellence in the field with the annual Catholic Press Awards, CMA Book Awards, the Cardinal John Foley Award, the Bishop John England Award, and the St. Francis de Sales Award. Member publications and publishers, large or small, may enter the Catholic Press Awards and the CMA Book Awards. A celebration is held each year at the Catholic Media Conference to recognize the winners.

WEBINARS
The CMA partners with other Catholic organizations to bring relevant webinars to members. Webinars give the Catholic communications community a chance to exchange ideas and learn from experts without having to leave the office.

CAREER CENTER
The CMA has an online career center that is free for members to post open positions. The CMA uses its social media channels to broaden awareness of the opportunities.

THE CATHOLIC JOURNALIST
The CMA’s membership newspaper keeps our community informed on best practices, issues pertaining to religious freedom, and upcoming events. All members receive a free subscription to The Catholic Journalist and are welcome to submit articles for consideration.