Pope Francis denounced the spread of fake news in his annual communications message issued Wednesday and said it dated back to the “crafty serpent” in the Garden of Eden who “created the first fake news, which began the tragic history of human sin.”
“Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred,” the pope said. “That is the end result of untruth.”
Pope Francis’s condemnation of fake news was the focus of his message for World Communications Day on May 13, titled “The truth will set you free — fake news and journalism for peace.”
In his message, Pope Francis lamented that the spread of fake news “can serve to advance specific goals, influence political decisions and serve economic interests,” and said is reach relies heavily on “a manipulative use of the social networks.”
The pope also said society needs to “unmask what could be called the ‘snake tactics’ used by those who disguise themselves in order to strike at any time and place.”
“This false but believable news is ‘captious,’ inasmuch as it grasps people’s attention by appealing to stereotypes and common social prejudices, and exploiting instantaneous emotions like anxiety, contempt, anger and frustration,” Pope Francis said.
The pope issued a call to action for journalists, who he said have a responsibility to combat 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.
Pope Francis’s has denounced the spread of fake news before, most recently in December. The Associated Press reported then the pope would focus his annual communications message on fake news.
“You shouldn’t fall into the ‘sins of communication:’ disinformation, or giving just one side, calumny that is sensationalized or defamation, looking for things that are old news and have been dealt with and bringing them to light today,” Pope Francis said last month.
