Re-establishing links with the truth"As Christians we must be the first to avoid the logic of opposition and simplification, always seeking rapprochement, accompaniment, a serene and reasoned response to questions and objections". This phrase of Pope Francis, pronounced last Friday in the presence of some representatives of Catholic media gathered in the International Consortium "Catholic Fact-Checking" received in audience, challenges us as journalists and communicators and puts at the center of reflection a basic attitude that should characterize our professions.
This is a reflection that we have been carrying out for some years with some scholars and university professors - among them the Italian philosopher Bruno Mastroianni - and which highlights the need to give a prominent place to the education of young people, who must be shown that not everything can be reduced to "one against one", but that peaceful and respectful confrontation can bear the mature fruit of mutual growth.
Here the Pope speaks of the "style of the Christian communicator". It is not by chance that, referring also to the social dynamics that have characterized the discussions around the Covid-19 pandemic for the past couple of years, Francis has invited us to counteract fake news, but with respect for people as a priority.
A universal style
And yet this is an attitude that, in my opinion, should characterize communication as such, without categories of any kind. The word itself identifies a connection, a union of two poles that are far apart. Therefore, if that "step" is cut and the link is broken through disagreements and exacerbated conflicts, the very essence of communication, of entering into relationship through arguments, is lost.
We see this very clearly in social networks, from which it is clear that in online confrontations, in heated conflicts, the loser is the communication itself, and basically the people who are arguing. This does not mean, of course, that there are no "crises" or problematic situations that can generate conflicts. The crisis, in this case, is not something to shy away from, but an opportunity to communicate better, to assume the reasons for the debate, the value of the arguments and thus show the mutual respect of the interlocutors.
Correct information
In another passage of his speech, the Pope recalled that being correctly informed is a human right, which must be guaranteed "especially to those who are less well provided for, to the weakest, to the most vulnerable". The perspective of this affirmation lies in that "correctly", which consists in actually providing information. This occurs when the person is put in a position to acquire more knowledge about a fact or incident than he or she had before. If, on the other hand, there is deception or even manipulation, one is not informed at all.
Correct information is undoubtedly that which respects the people who receive it, takes into account the context, the "complexity" of situations, and adds something more, allowing the "receiver" to acquire the most complete knowledge possible. Therefore, it is not enough to be the recipient, "by right", of a certain content, but it is essential to be the recipient in a full and correct way.
The ethics of algorithms
The Pope could not fail to mention digital algorithms, which today are designed to maximize profit and end up feeding radicalization and extremism, clearly to the detriment of a society that can truly be called "informed, just, healthy and sustainable." This aspect suggests that we must consider the ethical value of these innovations, which do not arise for their own sake, but are the result of human ingenuity, and as such must serve their good.
This brings us back to the respect for each person, which techniques must always preserve. In fact, a true "revolution", whether technological as in this case, is such if it brings something good to humanity; if, on the contrary, it is harmful, it must be avoided at all costs, and so we are certainly not wrong.
