“‘The truth will set you free’ (Jn. 8:32): Fake news and journalism for peace”–this will be the theme of World Communications Day 2018. The Vatican press release says that the theme chosen by Pope Francis to celebrate the day “relates to so-called ‘fake news’–namely, baseless information that contributes to generating and nurturing a strong polarization of opinions.”
The announcement then goes on to say that “it involves an often misleading distortion of facts, with possible repercussions at the level of individual and collective behavior. With so many players in the world of social media, internet and politics beginning to face the phenomenon, the Church too wishes to offer a contribution by proposing a reflection on the causes, the logic and the consequences of disinformation in the media and it will try to help promote profession journalism, which always seeks the truth and therefore a journalism of peace that promotes understanding between people.”
The Pope’s message for World Communications Day will be published on 24 January, the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of journalists.