This is the message of Pope Francis, for World Communications Day which will be celebrated on the Sunday before Pentecost, 13 May 2018. The World Communications Day was established by Pope Paul VI in 1967 as an annual celebration that encourages us to reflect on the opportunities and challenges that the modern means of social communication afford us to communicate the Gospel message. The celebration came in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, which realised it must engage fully with the modern world.
Here is the summary of the message of Pope Francis for the World Communications Day 2018.
Purpose of Communication
- Communication is God’s plan.
- We communicate essentially for fellowship.
- Communication helps us to express and share all that is true, good, and beautiful.
What is Fake News?
- In general, it refers to the spreading of disinformation on line or in the traditional media. It has to do with false information based on non-existent or distorted data.
- The effectiveness of fake news is primarily due to its ability to mimic real news, to seem plausible. Secondly, this false but believable news is “captious,” inasmuch as it grasps people’s attention by appealing to stereotypes and common social prejudices, and exploiting instantaneous emotions, like anxiety, contempt, anger and frustration.
- It is based on deliberately evasive and subtly misleading rhetoric and at times the use of sophisticated psychological mechanisms.
Purpose of Fake News
- To influence political decisions, and serve economic interests.
- To grab power.
- To manipulate the reader.
Evil Effects of Fake News (1,2)
- Fake news spreads fast. Even authoritative denials cannot contain the damage.
- Lack of healthy confrontation and other sources of true information.
- Unmasking fake news becomes difficult due to many people who interact in homogeneous digital environments (e.g., lack of use of other media of information).
- Fake news discredits others, presenting them as enemies, to the point of demonizing them and fomenting conflict. It leads to arrogance and hatred.
- It appeals to the insatiable greed so easily aroused in human beings.
Our Response to Fake News Culture (2-4)
- There are several efforts in net and media to raise awareness on fake media.
- Teach people how to discern fact from fake.
- Recognise truth from falsehood through their fruits: negative effects (conflicts, division…) or positive effects (e.g., constructive dialogue, mature relationships…)?
- Journalism is not a job but a mission, to protect news.
- Information is not based on speed of the news or audience impact but people who receive it. Journalists form people by generating goodness, trust, communion and peace through news.
- Promote journalism of peace as opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans, escalation of shouting matches, verbal violence and sensational headlines.
- Promote journalism by people for people, of voice for the voiceless and less concentrate on breaking news and sensationalism.
Quotes
- There is no such thing as harmless disinformation; on the contrary, trusting in falsehood can have dire consequences. Even a seemingly slight distortion of the truth can have dangerous effects.
- The heart of information is not the speed with which it is reported or its audience impact, but persons.
Concluding prayer to turn to the Truth
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Help us to speak about others as our brothers and sisters.
May our words be seeds of goodness for the world:
where there is shouting, let us practise listening;
where there is confusion, let us inspire harmony;
where there is ambiguity, let us bring clarity;
where there is exclusion, let us offer solidarity;
where there is sensationalism, let us use sobriety;
where there is superficiality, let us raise real questions;
where there is prejudice, let us awaken trust;
where there is hostility, let us bring respect;
where there is falsehood, let us bring truth.
Amen.
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