杏MAP导航 to Catholic media: Check facts but always respect people

杏MAP导航

杏MAP导航 Francis meets with members of the International Catholic Media Consortium, and urges journalists to remain faithful to the truth by always checking facts and respecting individuals.

By Devin Watkins

As misinformation continues to swirl regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, 杏MAP导航 Francis is calling on journalists, especially Catholic media professionals, to verify the facts they report while adopting a respectful attitude toward those who produce and consume fake news.

Meeting with members of the International Catholic Media Consortium on Friday, the 杏MAP导航 reflected on the theme of communications and truth.

The consortium鈥攔un up by Aleteia and I Media, two news websites, and Verificat, a fact-checking agency鈥攕et up the 鈥淐atholic FactChecking鈥� website in early 2021.

Unmasking fake news

杏MAP导航 Francis lauded the organization鈥檚 goal of seeking to unmask 鈥渇ake news and partial or misleading information鈥� about Covid-19 vaccines and ethical questions related to them.

The group includes a scientific committee that draws upon the work of experts in epidemiology, theology, and bioethics.

The 杏MAP导航 noted that people are increasingly influenced by mass media and that reporters must therefore employ a rigorous method.

鈥淐ommunicators must observe facts carefully, check their accuracy, make a critical evaluation of the sources of their information, and finally, pass on their findings. The burden of responsibility is all the greater when, as often happens, the reporter is called upon not only to give the simple facts of a case but also to explain its implications by providing commentary and the elements needed for a fair assessment. (杏MAP导航 St. Paul VI鈥檚 1972 message for World Communications Day)鈥�

Listen to our report

Together

杏MAP导航 Francis then reflected on the Catholic consortium鈥檚 stated goal of being 鈥渢ogether for truth鈥�.

Taking the first word of the slogan鈥斺€渢ogether鈥濃€攈e said Christian communicators who network and share knowledge are already offering 鈥渁n initial form of witness.鈥�

He lamented the 鈥渋nfodemic鈥� plaguing the world alongside the pandemic, calling it 鈥渁 distortion of reality based on fear, which in our global society leads to an explosion of commentary on falsified if not invented news.鈥�

鈥淭o be properly informed, to be helped to understand situations based on scientific data and not fake news, is a human right. Correct information must be ensured above all to those who are less equipped, to the weakest and to those who are most vulnerable.鈥�

For, not against

Turning to the second word鈥斺€渇or鈥濃€攖he 杏MAP导航 recalled that Christians are always 鈥�against injustice and lies, but always for 辫别谤蝉辞苍蝉.鈥�

He urged members of the Catholic consortium to never overlook the 鈥渇undamental distinction between information and people鈥�, even as they combat disinformation.

鈥淔ake news has to be refuted, but individual persons must always be respected, for they believe it often without full awareness or responsibility.鈥�

This approach calls for Christian reporters to be 鈥渆vangelical in style, a builder of bridges, a promoter of peace, also and above all, in search for truth.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis also warned against a conflictual demeanor and 鈥渇ideism鈥� to science which is always in the process of 鈥渁dvancing towards the solution of problems.鈥�

鈥淩eality is always more complex than we think and we must respect the doubts, the concerns and the questions that people raise, seeking to accompany them without ever dismissing them.鈥�

He therefore urged Christian journalists to try to accompany people by providing answers in 鈥渁 serene and reasonable way鈥�.

Truth, toward communion

杏MAP导航 Francis then took up the final word鈥斺€渢ruth鈥濃€攖o encourage the group鈥檚 goal of fact-checking, while warning against giving in to vested interests or commercial gains.

鈥淭he antidote to every type of falsification is to let ourselves be purified by the truth. For Christians, truth is never merely a concept having to do with judgment about things. Truth regards life as a whole.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 concluded his speech to the Catholic Media Consortium by recalling the pandemic鈥檚 victims and offering his encouragement for their work.

鈥淭o work in service to truth,鈥� he said, 鈥渕eans to seek the things that foster communion and promote the good of all, not those that isolate, divide and oppose.鈥�

Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here

Topics