VATICAN CITY — Catholic journalists need to be able to
distinguish good from evil and recognize how their words can shape the world,
not just describe what has happened, Pope Francis said.
Reporters also can help "unmask words that are false and
destructive," but they must make sure their sources are credible while
offering the correct context, interpretation and importance of events, he said
during an audience with members of the Italian Catholic press Sept. 23.
The pope made similar appeals earlier in the day when speaking
with members of the Vatican's own media department, the Dicastery for
Communication, which was holding its plenary assembly.
The Vatican department's work in communication, he told them,
must never be promotional or driven by the desire to have a bigger audience,
nor must employees be tempted into feeling defeated and defensive against the wider
culture.
During his audience with members of the Italian Catholic Union of
the Press, which was celebrating its 60th anniversary, the pope urged the
journalists to be "the voice of the conscience of a journalism capable of
distinguishing good from evil, humane choices from inhumane ones," because
the two sides are hard to differentiate today as they are all mixed up in
"a hodgepodge."
Journalists are called to reconstruct the facts, "work
toward social cohesion (and) to tell the truth at all costs" in a way that
is respectful and never arrogant, he said.
"Communication needs real words in the midst of so many
empty words," the pope said.
It is a great responsibility, he said, because "your words
talk about the world and shape it, your stories can create the space for
freedom or for slavery, for responsibility or addiction to power."
He said he knows reporters often would like to be able to do
this, "but they have an editor behind them who says, 'No, this can't be
published, this yes, that no.'"
What happens is truth gets run through a "distillery"
of the publisher's financial interests or advantages and what comes out is no
longer true, he said.
Just as they can work to build a world that is more just and
caring, he said journalists also can help strip away what is false and toxic.
In the internet age, "the task of a journalist is to
identify credible sources, put them in context, interpret them" and give
things their due importance. For example, he asked, why is it when a homeless
person freezes to death on the street there is no media attention, but every
news outlet will cover the stock exchange going down two points.
"Something is not right here," he said.
"Don't be afraid to turn the news lineup upside down, to
give voice to the voiceless, to tell 'good news' stories" that foster a
friendlier society. "Don't tell fairytales. No. Just real good news
stories," he said.
When the pope had met earlier with members of the Dicastery for
Communication, dicastery consultants and the employees who work in the Vatican's
various media outlets -- television, internet, radio and newspaper -- he set
aside his prepared remarks, saying it would defeat the purpose of communication
if reading a long speech put them to sleep.
Asking instead that they read and reflect on the written remarks
later, the pope said he wanted to encourage them to be true communicators
motivated by love.
Communications must be about witness, he said, and witnessing
one's faith has an element of martyrdom in that the Christian vocation is being
a minority in the world -- that tiny bit of salt or leaven that can transform
everything.
Do not give in to the temptation of giving up or closing oneself
off from the world, choosing to believe the few are somehow an elite or an
"elect" group of authentic Christians, he added.
"Resigning oneself to cultural defeat comes from the evil
spirit, it does not come from God," he said. "The griping of
resignation is not the Christian spirit."