'Fake news': meant to manipulate the reader

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At the beginning of this year, Pope Francis issues his message for the “World Communications' Day”. The title was: 
“The truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32) 
Fake news and journalism for peace.

Explaining what “fake news” is, he says:
In general, it refers to the spreading of disinformation on line or in the traditional media. It has to do with false information based on non-existent or distorted data meant to deceive and manipulate the reader. Spreading fake news can serve to advance specific goals, influence political decisions, and serve economic interests.
It is a serious matter because: 
The tragedy of disinformation is that it discredits others, presenting them as enemies, to the point of demonizing them and fomenting conflict.
Pope Francis himself is victim of fake news. False information is being published about him and one needs to wonder what the goal of doing that is. It is not done innocently.

In the last few weeks, different people wrote to me privately asking if it is true that “Pope Francis cancels the Bible and proposes to create a new book”. This fake news is being shared on social media.

It is interesting that people might believe something like that considering that Pope Francis has chosen to celebrate the daily Mass with groups of people (mainly from the parishes in Rome) where he constantly refers to the Bible in his daily homilies. Books are being published gathering this homilies and different webpages daily present a summary of them.

He also has reflected at length on some biblical texts in his Apostolic Exhortations. For example,
  • in the 2016 Apostolic Exhortation called "The joy of love” (“Amoris laetitia”) there is a beautiful reflection on Paul's hymn to love (1 Cor 13: 1 – 13), and 
  • in his latest (2018) Apostolic Exhortation on the call to holiness in today's world "Rejoice and be glad" (“Gaudete et exsultate”) he reflects on the “Beatitudes” (Mt 5: 1 - 12). 

True that people might not have seen those documents nor follow his daily homilies.

It is interesting to see that in our daily lives we would not believe just anything we are told by other people when we meet them “face to face” but only those we know and trust. In every case we are able to ask for more information and go deeply on the issue being said.

On the contrary, we seem to take anything and everything we read on the internet as “true”. The internet seems to have become the new bible. Some people quote it in the way we quote God's word! We hardly check the source of the information like we would do with people and we hardly double check if the information is right.

Maybe the question is: Who are you trusting to help you know better your faith and your Church? Just anyone?

I am part of many whatsapp groups to which I hardly contribute. There is, though, one moment when I regularly do it: when I come across fake news. We regularly read about Christians or missionaries condemned to death in a certain (usually) Muslim country. Another one that is common says that: “Today, at 9 pm, Pope Francis calls everyone around the world (...) to pray for (...)”. There is nothing wrong to pray for a special intention but it is a message I saw last year and the previous one. Therefore when it says “today”...

Fake news goes beyond what could be an innocent joke on April's fools. It is done with a purpose. 

There is nothing wrong with asking you to pray for Christians being persecuted in other countries; but when it tells you about unexistant 249 missionaries in a specific Muslim context one needs to wonder what the goal of that fake news is. 

Remember what Pope Francis wrote: 
it is meant to manipulate the reader
Normally, a quick research on Google would let us know about these scams and how long they have been traveling all over the world.

I believe three things could help us:

  1. Double check the information. The fact that you received it from a friend is no guarantee he/she checked the source so do it yourself!
    • If it is important information regarding Pope Francis, it should appear on “www.vaticannews.va”;
    • there are also other well known and trusted Catholic sites that can help us see if the information is true; 
    • particularly today, not every blog or webpage that calls itself Catholic is really so. There are a number of cases in which the authors are just pushing a personal agenda.

  2. Ask! Ask someone you trust. I am deeply grateful to those who privately write to our “Diocesan News” group for more information.

  3. Do not share the information unless you are sure of what you are talking about or you yourself will become part of the circle that promotes fake news.


Pope Francis' message can be found clicking HERE

www.thefloridacatholic.org