This week, Pathlight editor Megan Mallory writes about Pathlight’s beginnings and where it’s headed. It’s an important conversation. Since I came to PHA in 1999, I have been told over and over again how important Pathlight is to our members. We do not take changes in this publication lightly.
As part of the PH community, you are an important part of the definition of Pathlight’s future. Reading below, you will find a link to a survey that will help keep Pathlight a great value to you. Please take a few minutes to complete it and help define the future. As always, your much-appreciated participation makes all the difference!
Nearly 25 years ago, in May 1990, 50 copies of the first issue of Pathlight mailed to every PH patient the founders knew about, and to doctors and university hospitals. Since that time, Pathlight has grown from a four-page issue with a distribution of 50 to a 60-page issue with a distribution of approximately 10,000. The look has changed over the years, but the mission has remained the same: connect the PH community and provide stories of inspiration, hope and support.
Now in 2014, we are looking again to the PH community to help ensure that Pathlight remains strong and continues to reflect all the wonderful things that we do in our community of hope. Please take the Pathlight survey to help us keep Pathlight going strong. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes, and after August 10, it will no longer be available. So, please take the survey today!
If you take a look back at Pathlight over the years, you will see how much it has grown and changed, and yet, it remains the same in all the most important ways. For instance, the regular column “Ask a PH Specialist” began as “Dear Doctor” in that first issue in 1990, and “Passages” was known as “In Memory” and included three names. Every issue – from that first issue through today – is dedicated to the memory of PH patients who have gone before.
In the early 1990s, Teresa Knazik, one of PHA’s founders, served as the first Pathlight editor. Read our very first issue now.
 |
| Pathlight May 1990 |
Following Teresa's contributions as editor, Mark Taylor Murphy became the second Pathlight editor, Jan Travioli followed him as the third Pathlight editor, and Shirley Craig contributed her talents as the fourth Pathlight editor. Each of these individuals was a volunteer, contributing their time and their talents to making Pathlight as strong as possible.
From 2000-2006, under Shirley's guidance as editor, Pathlight became a 32-page publication, and it began printing in color. Read this issue of Pathlight from the fall of 2006.
 |
| Pathlight Fall 2006 |
Over the years, it became clear that Pathlight’s growth was creating a heavy burden for volunteer editors and, working with Shirley Craig, Pathlight editing became a staffed activity in early 2006. The clear mandate in moving from patient and caregiver editing was to make sure that the publication remained relevant to member needs.
PHA now coordinates the creation of Pathlight each quarter, and we try very hard to ensure that Pathlight always reflects the community’s voice. As a result of a community survey in 2007, Pathlight received a new look and updated content. Take a look at Pathlight from the summer of 2008.
 |
| Pathlight Summer 2008 |
Pathlight became a full-color publication in the summer of 2010 with all photos and graphics printing in color, and to celebrate its 24th birthday this past spring, Pathlight became available for the first time in an electronic version, easily accessible on computers, smartphones and tablets. Check out the last three issues of Pathlight now.
 |
| Winter, Spring and Summer 2014 issues of Pathlight |
The name, Pathlight, was derived from the founders’ purpose. As the late Dorothy Olson, one of PHA’s founders, once said, “We wanted to find ways to light the way to awareness.”
As we look ahead to Pathlight’s future, we want this important publication to continue to light the way for many years to come. Help keep Pathlight going strong by taking our 2014 Pathlight survey and letting us know your thoughts on our community’s publication. The survey will not be available after Sunday, August 10, so please tell us your thoughts today!
If you have any questions or would like to contribute articles to Pathlight, please contact Megan Mallory, Pathlight’s current editor, at Print@PHAssociation.org or 301-565-3004 x754.
No comments:
Post a Comment