Pope Augustus

"Oh, and since the Rome Newspaper staff is already arranged, let's get it operating as soon as possible. Setting up branch offices can proceed concurrently." Augustus urgently hoped the newspaper could play its role, as it was crucial for his upcoming plans.

"Understood. Do you have any requirements for the news content?"

"Focus on current events. World affairs, war situations, public sentiment, and so on, can all be news content. There won't be too many restrictions in this regard; you can exercise your creativity freely."

"Then where will there be more restrictions?" Katerina keenly caught the key element.

Augustus helplessly rubbed his head. Oh well, since he had to say it sooner or later, it was better to be direct.

Augustus spoke with the most sincere tone he could muster: "Katerina, I've read some of your books. Forgive my bluntness, but I cannot allow all of these books to be published from the Papal States right now; only a portion can be published at present.

Because some of the books are too aggressive and could bring unnecessary trouble to both you and me. I hope you can understand me on this point. But I can assure you, as long as I live, there will come a day when I will make them all known to the world.

You should also have some understanding of the current situation in the Papal States. It can almost be said to be surviving in the cracks between the great powers. Precisely because of this, before officially declaring a certain country an enemy, I hope the news content avoids being overly aggressive, so as not to create enemies."

"Understood, I understand." Katerina replied very directly and decisively, without any hesitation.

Katerina's composure made Augustus somewhat incredulous. Facing Katerina's calm gaze, he couldn't fathom what she was thinking.

In fact, having experienced being unwelcome in her own country, Katerina had long witnessed the cruelty of reality. Becoming the editor-in-chief of a newspaper, and not being completely used as a pawn by the Holy See, was already a very good outcome. The Pope's high praise for her was an unexpected bonus. After years of wandering, she finally had a place to settle down, and of course, she wouldn't complain about this reasonable request.

Having focused on studying the politics of various countries for many years, how could Katerina not understand Augustus's considerations? Putting herself in his shoes, she would have made the same decision, perhaps even being less lenient than Augustus.

Seeing that Katerina genuinely seemed to have no complaints, Augustus continued, "Katerina, what do you think about changing the newspaper's publication to a periodical? For example, a weekly?"

"A periodical, meaning regular publication? I don't think that's a good idea. Although it might be easier to attract a fixed readership, it requires focusing on a single theme for a long time, which tends to limit the scope of news.

Moreover, the amount of news material varies at different times, and a periodical also limits the frequency of newspaper publication, which is not conducive to expanding the newspaper's influence and will also affect the quality of the news," Katerina criticized without reservation.

"Alright, then we won't change it." What Katerina said was not without reason. It seemed that the periodical operating model indeed did not meet his needs. So, the small trend of being the first to issue a regular newspaper would still be left to the Germany region.

"You just mentioned a weekly. Does that mean you hope the newspaper's publication frequency averages around once a week?"

"I didn't mean that; 'weekly' was just an example I threw out. As long as there's news and you've written it, the frequency is up to you. There are no restrictions in that regard either." Within the permissible scope, Augustus was willing to give Katerina the greatest possible freedom.

"What do you think would be a good theme for the newspaper's first article?"

"The theme for the first article? Let me think… Wait, shouldn't that be your problem to consider?" Augustus realized something was off. He didn't have the good habit of taking on extra work for no reason.

"Theoretically, yes, but because this is the newspaper's inaugural work and it's of great importance, I specifically sought your opinion."

Alright, that's somewhat understandable. If he had to decide the theme for every single article, he might as well be the editor-in-chief himself and let Katerina be the Pope.

"How long have you been in the Papal States?"

"I was in Rome a few days before you were elected Pope."

"Then how about we discuss the changes within the Papal States since I became Pope?" The first article heavily discussing war situations and great power schemes would be too aggressive, and revealing ambitions too early was not a good thing, so that was clearly unsuitable. Discussing national economy and people's livelihood as the theme would be quite good; no one would be unhappy with that.

"I don't quite understand the changes you're referring to," Katerina said with a slight hint of disappointment.

Augustus was first stunned, then he understood. Clearly, Katerina had misunderstood, thinking he wanted her to sing his praises. However, to be fair, there might not have been many changes, as he hadn't done much, and what he had done hadn't had a significant short-term effect.

"Katerina, you've misunderstood. My intention is for you to be factual. Good or bad, just say it. More importantly, point out existing problems, whether they are of the Papal States or mine, as long as they are well-reasoned. The word 'change' is indeed unsuitable. How about we change it to 'Current State of the Papal States'?"

"What? Point out the problems of the Papal States and even make them public?" This time it was Katerina's turn to be surprised. What kind of operation was this?

"Yes, I hope to bring the problems into the open, let everyone see the problems first, and then see them being solved step by step. Moreover, if the newspaper content is empty, people won't pay attention, and influence will be out of the question. Public opinion must first gain the trust of the people to influence them."

"Well said!" Katerina couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. In Katerina's mind, Augustus's image instantly became magnificent.

"If you think it's good, then that's best. Get to writing quickly. Once the article is done, show it to me immediately. I'm very eager to hear your thoughts." His concern was genuine, but of course, there was another underlying purpose, which was a secondary review.

A few days later, the first article after the reconstruction of the Rome Newspaper was published. The title was: The Current State of the Papal States.

The article sharply pointed out the existing problems in the Papal States. Infighting among various levels of government, corrupt and incompetent individuals holding important positions, some officials having overly close ties with external forces, heavy taxes... The Pope was intent on changing the status quo, but the measures taken so far were merely superficial, especially the tax reduction, whose intention to win over the people was glaringly obvious.

As soon as the news was published, it quickly caused a huge uproar in all sectors of society. Such news, directly criticizing national ills, was unprecedented. Many people held their breath for this new editor-in-chief who dared to speak the truth.

If the news hadn't been received in time, the security forces would have almost been dispatched to make arrests.

The problems Katerina mentioned were actually well-known to everyone. They hadn't formed overnight, nor were they exclusive to the Papal States; everyone had long grown accustomed to them.

As for the Pope winning over the people, from the perspective of ordinary citizens, it could hardly be considered a criticism. The willingness to win over the people at least showed concern, and this would not diminish Augustus's social standing in the slightest; on the contrary, it would make more people aware of this point.

The inaugural work of the Rome Newspaper caused a huge sensation, and its influence grew steadily. The Rome Newspaper entered the public's view, laying a solid foundation of public opinion for Augustus.