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PopeWatch: Journalist Terrorism

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The Pope in a curious address to a group of Italian journalists compared journalism based upon “gossip or rumors” to terrorism.

Speaking to a gathering of Italian journalists Thursday, Pope Francis argued that journalism that peddles gossip or rumors is “terrorism.”

Francis, in his address to National Council Order of Journalists, reminded the audience that he has often likened gossip to terrorism — “how it is possible to kill someone with tongue” — and said, “This applies to individual people — in the family or at work — but even more so to journalists because their voice can reach everyone, and this is a very powerful weapon.”

“Journalism must always respect the dignity of the person,” he continued. “Journalism cannot be a weapon for the destruction of people or even populations. Nor must it fuel fears in relation to changes or phenomena such as forced migration due to hunger or war.”

The Pope described the type of journalism he would like to see:

“I hope that increasingly and everywhere journalism may be a tool for construction, a factor of the common good and for the acceleration of processes of reconciliation; that it may be able to resist the temptation to foment confrontation, with a language that stokes the flames of division, instead of favoring a culture of encounter,” Francis said.

 

Go here to read the rest.  In short, the Pope wants a journalism that can be relied upon to support his agenda.  People who are in power rarely are fans of the media.  In much of the world those in power have the ability to make the media perform like a chorus of trained seals.  PopeWatch fears that Pope Francis might prefer that system in preference to one of free debate where his policies are subject to criticism and analysis.

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Father of Seven
Father of Seven
Friday, September 23, AD 2016 4:44am

I guess he thinks the press has not been fawning enough. Instead, how about Journalists who simply tell the truth. Sounds rather Catholic, unlike his personal agenda.

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Friday, September 23, AD 2016 5:45am

In America, aside from FOX, Breitbart and a few others, journalism isn’t about news, much less the truth. It’s all about advancing the nightmarish progressive agenda. Ergo, the news is replete with ad hominems, cognitive dissonance, distortions, exaggerations, false equivalencies, fabrications, omissions, outright lies, . . .
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Twain was correct. “If you don’t read the papers you are uninformed. If you read the paper you are misinformed.”

Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Friday, September 23, AD 2016 9:32am

For the record Pope Francis favorite journalist is atheist , Italian editor Eugenio Scalfari of La Repubblica (the Pope’s favorite newspaper) who he spoon feeds such gems as ” “All the Divorced who ask will be admitted [to Communion]” In other words, Pope Francis thinks that journalists exist for the purpose of disseminating propaganda.

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Friday, September 23, AD 2016 10:02am

In short, the Pope wants a journalism that can be relied upon to support his agenda.

You realize you just did to Francis what Shea tried to do to Ed Feser, right?

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Friday, September 23, AD 2016 10:09am

This address from Jorge Bergoglio is to be expected. When journalists fawn over him, they are being Christian. When they report the truth about him, they are evil gossips.

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Friday, September 23, AD 2016 12:07pm

If you say so.

Penguin Fan
Penguin Fan
Friday, September 23, AD 2016 2:46pm

Typical Roman Pontiff. Every time he opens his mouth about Islam or immigration, Breitbart does a story about it and the anti Catholics come out of the woodwork.

I am sick and tired of him. If he resigns I’ll throw a party.

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