Info-ethics

 

Looking over some media articles I’ve accumulated lately, I came across Pope Benedict’s message for the 42nd World Day of Communications, “The Media: At the Crossroads between Self-Promotion and Service. Searching for the Truth in order to Share it with Others.” Not a short and snappy title, but that’s the point. Sometimes we get short and snappy at the expense of the truth.

The fact that there is an objective and absolute truth probably comes as news to most news consumers, which is why Benedict wrote this. He gives a hefty amount of due credit to the media for the contribution they do make to “the spread of literacy”, “socialization” and “the development of democracy and dialogue among peoples.”

However….in pursuit of larger audiences, Benedict says some of that dialogue has become vulgar and vicious. He asks (rhetorically) “whether it is wise to allow the instruments of social communication to be exploited for indiscriminate ‘self-promotion’ or to end up in the hands of those who use them to manipulate consciences.”

Should it not be a priority to ensure that they remain at the service of the person and of the common good…?

Aha, there’s that term again. But here it’s applied with the constant teaching of the Church on its meaning (which I mentioned in a post below).

Information with ethics, that’s what this message challenges media to serve. Looking at what kind of coverage this got, I found a good blog I want to share. What cinched it for me as a uniquely good find was the (sort of) disclaimer down at the bottom of the page. Except for the Archdiocese of Southwark part, I pretty much defer to that one as my own sort of disclaimer.

Well done, Fr. Tim. Glad to find a scribe with wit and charity.