Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned “fake news” as evil.
The pope wrote in a papal document issued in advance of his message for the Catholic Church’s World Communications Day on May 13 that “spreading fake news can serve to advance specific goals, influence political decisions, and serve economic interests," but "leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred," reports Reuters.
He compared the use of fake news to the manipulative “snake-tactics” of the devil who, disguised as a serpent in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, gave Eve false information which persuaded her to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree.
“We need to unmask what could be called the ‘snake-tactics’ used by those (purveyors of fake news) who disguise themselves in order to strike at any time and place,” Pope Francis said.
He later added that journalists have "a weighty responsibility" to dispel fake news.
“If responsibility is the answer to the spread of fake news, then a weighty responsibility rests on the shoulders of those whose job is to provide information, namely, journalists, the protectors of the news,” said Francis.
He went on to say that their role is “not just a job, it is a mission,” and called on them to "communicate the truth," ABC News reports.
“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 warned.
Vatican spokesman Greg Burke, a former reporter for U.S. outlets, told Reuters that Pope Francis “is not saying that all journalists are snakes but he is certainly acknowledging that they can be.”
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