Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, tells journalists to search for alternatives to the “toxic consumption of manipulated information.”
By Daniele Piccini
“Without facts, there can be no truth. Without truth, there can be no trust. Without these three elements, we lack a shared reality. There can be no journalism, and there can be no democracy.”
These were the words of Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, in his address this morning at the Trusting the Future of News: Independence, Innovation, Growth conference in Rome.
Now in its 39th edition, the event is organized by MINDS International, a global network of news agencies.
Communicating is relating
Facts, truth, and trust are the foundation of journalism—and by extension, of democracy. Ruffini described this combination as an antidote to the crisis of our time, where, as he noted, “if you repeat a lie millions of times, it becomes a fact.”
Authentic communication, Ruffini argued, is only possible when it is based on genuine relationships.
“Restoring open and authentic dialogue,” he said during his keynote address, entitled Communication and Information in the Digital Era of Disintermediation and Artificial Intelligence: The Holy See’s Communication System and the Church’s Magisterium, “is one of the most vital tasks of our time.”
Clarity and honesty in the age of manipulation
Drawing from Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum, Ruffini stressed the need for “clarity” and “honesty” when navigating the realms of information and marketing, which increasingly aim to manipulate public opinion.
According to the Church’s Magisterium, he continued, “we are called to a peaceful but urgent battle to restore solid foundations in the news dissemination system and to rebuild the principles of communication and good journalism—offering a real alternative to the toxic consumption of manipulated information.”
Information as a common good
To achieve this, it is essential to “build a relationship of trust” with our readers, Ruffini emphasized.
This, he said, means working on cultural awareness and promoting literacy at all levels.
“It means,” he concluded, “rediscovering and sharing the idea of common ground—and of news as a common good.”
MINDS International is an international organization that brings together 26 news agencies from around the world, including Reuters, AP, and AFP. Yesterday, the group met with Pope Leo in the Vatican.
