As the United States Mid-Term elections approached, a number of newspapers have appeared, typically bearing a variant of the name Catholic Tribune.
Their content favours the Republican party and its candidates, along with articles on themes of interest to Catholic readers. The publications, physical copies of which have been placed in mailboxes, have appeared in at least five states: Arizona and Michigan, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. A similar publication appeared in Michigan in 2020, and there are online versions in Florida and Minnesota.
It is not clear who is behind these publications. Catholic Church sources have disclaimed knowledge or association with them.
The Diocese of Phoenix in Arizona said that it was not affiliated with the ‘Arizona Catholic Tribune’ and that the Church did not take a partisan line: ‘Catholic organizations and ministries in the Diocese of Phoenix do not engage in partisan politics and do not endorse candidates or parties during any election. The Diocese of Phoenix does encourage voters to prayerfully inform themselves about the issues on the ballot this November, form their consciences well, and vote accordingly.’
The Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania said: ‘Purporting itself to be Catholic, the newspaper features politically related content among its many articles. The publication also has accompanying websites, pacatholictribune and/or americancatholictribune, which appear to mention several dioceses in Pennsylvania, including the Diocese of Scranton. It is important for all people to know that this publication and its accompanying website are neither endorsed by, nor are they affiliated with, the Diocese of Scranton or the Catholic Church.’
The layout and content of the various publications seem to point to a common origin. The publications do not provide a publisher, but investigations conducted by the New York Times and the Columbia Journalism Review indicated that they were owned by Metric Media. The latter owns a large number of news websites with a focus on local issues, and which often have a conservative slant.
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