POPE FRANCIS BACKS PAEDIA EXPRESS ON PRESS FREEDOM
BY ABDULMUMINI ADEKU,GERRARD O’CONNELL
Vatican Pontiff:Pope Francis would appear to have thrown his full
weights behind Encyclopedia Express over recent efforts being made by The
Nigerian government to silence the medium at all cost.
As at press time, checks showed that unseen hands tried and blocked
some news reportage of the Mandaeans which this medium had reported just last
week because it felt it was in the rights of the people to know,but this
however did not go down well with some interests in The Presidency in Abuja.
Postings made on Google by the publisher and Founder of the group,Mr
Abdulmumini Adeku that despite the spiritual group being in the minority they
deserved to be showed some level of respects as they were fellow humans however
fell on deaf ears.
But as at press time feelers from the civilized world have being in
full support of the medium
Pope Francis of The Vatican was said to have affirmed the Catholic
Church’s support for press freedom while extolling the virtues of victims of media
mytrdom
The Pope was also said to have noted that even when the media
criticizes the church it was only meant
for the good of the church and nothing more.
He however used the forum at which he spoke to denounce the culture of
disinformation now commonly called Fake
News saying that this does not paint anyone in any light .
(CNS photo/
Paul Haring)
“Freedom of the press and of expression is
an important index of the health of a country,” Pope Francis told members of
the Foreign Press Association in Italy, when he received them and their
families in private audience in the Vatican on May 18. He reminded them that
“one of the first things that dictators do is to remove the freedom of the
press.”
He assured them, “I esteem your work; the
church esteems your work even when you put the finger in the wound, and perhaps
the wound that is in the ecclesial community.” He quoted John Paul II in
support of the press. “The church is on your side,” he said. “Whether you are
Christian or not, you will always find in the church the just esteem for your
work and the recognition of the freedom of the press.”
Ms. Patricia Thomas, the president of the
Foreign Press Association, told him that its 400 members come from 54 countries
and profess different faiths. She recalled how their work has changed radically
with the advent of the internet and social media, and noted that today there is
much greater risk of “disinformation” and the “spread of hate.” She said that
the task of journalists is to combat “the wave of hate” and “fake news,” and to
report on the plight of refugees and migrants. She recalled that many journalists
run great personal risk from authoritarian governments and as they report on
wars and violence. Ms. Thomas mentioned three journalists who had been killed
recently because of their courageous work: Lyra McKee from Northern Ireland,
Daphne Anne Caruana Galizia from Malta and Jamal Khashoggi from Saudi
Arabia.
Pope Francis said he had listened to Ms.
Thomas’ report “with pain” about the journalists who have suffered or been
killed while they did their work, informing the world of what is happening in
wars and other dramatic situations, and he encouraged them also to report on
“the forgotten wars,” the ones that society ignores. Then addressing the
dangers and threats they often face from governments, Francis declared:
“Freedom of the press and of expression is an important index of the health of
a country.”
Recalling that Ms. Thomas had said the
Foreign Press Association has its office on Via del Umiltà, he told them:
“humility can be the keystone of your work.” He described how much easier it is
to accept superficial answers and not ask the hard questions, and said “the
presumption of knowing everything already” blocks that search.
Pope Francis noted that journalism can be a
vehicle for good works when done well. But he also described how, “if one is
not attentive and scrupulous, one can also do harm to the neighbor and at times
to the whole community.” He noted how some headlines distort reality and
emphasized the importance of correcting mistakes. Francis said journalists
should always be aware of “the power of the instrument” at their disposal “and
resist the temptation to publish news that is not sufficiently verified.”
Pope Francis connected the virtue of
humility with fair and well-reported journalism. He said, “the humble
journalist seeks to understand the facts correctly in their entirety before
reporting and commenting on them.” He advised them also “not to construct
stereotypes” and not to be content with “convenient representations” of persons
“as if they are capable of resolving all problems, or on the contrary as
scapegoats, on whom to throw all responsibility.”
Pope Francis also encouraged journalists to
avoid inflammatory language while “especially in the social media but not only,
many use violence and derogatory language, with words that wound and at times
destroy persons.”
He said that “hostile words” often overlook
the dignity of the people they refer to. When “to speak evil of others has
become a habit for many,” he said, “one must always remember that every person
has his/her intangible dignity, which can never be taken away.”
Pope Francis told his international
audience that “the humble and free journalist should seek to report the good,
even if it is often evil that makes the news.” He confided that in his many
years as bishop he was witness to much good news.
“I have discovered how much good exists
among young, how many people sacrifice themselves, even heroically, to assist a
parent, a sick child, how many persons commit themselves every day in the
service of others, how many reach out a hand instead of looking the other way.”
“There is an ocean of good that merits to
be known and that gives strength to our hope.” He said that women are often
more attentive to this than men because “they see better, the understand
better, they feel these things better.” He praised the fact there were so many
women journalists in the Foreign Press Association.
The pope concluded his address by appealing
to the journalists to report this good news. “I beg you, continue to report
also that part of reality which thanks be to God is still the most widespread:
the reality that does not give-in to indifference, that does not flee in front
of injustice, but builds with patience in silence.”
No comments:
Post a Comment