All of us are seekers, in one way or another. In everyday life, we seek meaning, understanding, ways to pass the days. On the Internet, everyone's looking for something, be it news articles or cat pics. But there's a spectrum: Websites like Beliefnet or Biblegateway.com cater to a more stereotypical version of "seekers," offering endless inspirational quotes and meditative-looking stock photos. Traditional news sites satisfy a different kind of craving, a desire for straightforward information about what's going on in the world—readers are just seekers by another name.
It's a tricky thing to try balance seeker and reader, but The Boston Globe is going to try. On Tuesday, the newspaper launched a new site called Crux, dedicated to coverage of the Catholic Church. The site will include reported pieces about the Vatican, discussions about topics like abortion and gay marriage, and "lighter fare, including quizzes, travel coverage, and recipes ... and a column called 'OMG,'" which will focus on ethical and moral dilemmas, according to the press release.
On a strategic level, a lot of things about this venture make sense. In 2012, the Archdiocese of Boston estimated that the metro area had 1.9 million Catholics—nearly half of the population. Pope Francis is extremely popular and a source of endless fascination. A decade ago, the Globe won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Church sex-abuse scandal. Plus, there are 1.2 billion Catholics in the world. "My vision is that we’re aiming not just for a national audience, but also an international audience," said John Allen Jr., a longtime Vatican reporter and one of the lead writers for the site.