Pope Francis has denounced ‘fake news’ as evil and urged journalists to strive for truth after he received a week of unprecedented bad press in South America.
His annual social communications message today dedicated the year to ‘fake news and journalism for peace.’
Francis said the first fake news dates from the Biblical beginning of time, when Eve was tempted to take an apple from the Garden of Eden based on disinformation from the serpent.
‘The strategy of this skilled “Father of Lies” is precisely mimicry, that sly and dangerous form of seduction that worms its way into the heart with false and alluring arguments,’ Francis said of the snake.
Francis said the first fake news dates from the Biblical beginning of time, when Eve was tempted to take an apple from the Garden of Eden based on disinformation from the serpent. Pictured: Francis in Chile last week
He said the role of journalists was ‘not just a job, it is a mission’ and they had particular responsibility to stem fake news. Pictured: Francis in Peru
In today’s fast-paced information age, he called for a shared commitment to rediscovering the ‘dignity of journalism’ and for reporters to speak the truth with a journalism that is ‘truthful and opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans, and sensational headlines.’
He added: ‘We need to unmask what could be called the ‘snake-tactics’ used by those (purveyors of fake news) who disguise themselves in order to strike at any time and place’.
He said the role of journalists was ‘not just a job, it is a mission’ and they had particular responsibility to stem fake news.
‘Amid feeding frenzies and the mad rush for a scoop, they must remember that the heart of information is not the speed with which it is reported or its audience impact, but persons,’ he said.
He said journalism should be ‘less concentrated on breaking news than on exploring the underlying causes of conflicts … a journalism committed to pointing out alternatives to the escalation of shouting matches and verbal violence.’
Francis has frequently railed about journalists, and before he became Pope was known for his frosty relations with the Argentine media.
In today’s fast-paced information age, he called for a shared commitment to rediscovering the ‘dignity of journalism’ and for reporters to speak the truth with a journalism that is ‘truthful and opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans, and sensational headlines.’ Pictured: The pontiff in Peru’s capital, Lima, on Sunday
Just this week, while chatting with reporters aboard the papal plane, he admitted he hated giving interviews and joked: ‘And look at the job God gave me now.’
Since becoming pope, Francis has learned to use the media to get his message across, but he still frequently complains about what he considers one-sided reporting and what he has dubbed the ‘sins of the media: disinformation, slander and defamation.’