Pope Francis has expressed concern in regards to the affect of social media, warning in opposition to extreme scrolling, which he described as inflicting “mind rot”.
Pope Francis said this on the event of the Jubilee of the world of communications in Rome, an occasion that attracted round 9 thousand journalists and writers from 138 nations in particular person and on-line.
The Pope additionally urged Catholic journalists and media staff to be brave truth-tellers and bearers of hope in an period marked by battle, division and disinformation.
Francis known as for a story that nourishes life and conjures up hope.
The occasion featured distinguished company, together with Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, a Filipino-American journalist, who spoke about her private experiences of persecution and highlighted the position of journalists in defending democracy and reality .
Irish writer Colum McCann additionally shared his insights on the very important position of journalism in in the present day’s world.
Addressing attendees Saturday on the Vatican, Pope Francis urged the viewers: “Let your narrative be a message of hope.”
He reminded the viewers of the sacrifices made by media professionals, highlighting that over 120 journalists have misplaced their lives in 2024 whereas protecting conflicts.
Most of them had been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) mentioned a minimum of 167 journalists and media staff had been killed within the Gaza Strip between October 7, 2023 and January 25, 2025.
CPJ, an impartial, non-profit group that promotes press freedom all over the world, has decided that a minimum of 11 journalists and two media staff had been instantly focused by Israeli forces in killings that CPJ classifies as murders:
Issam Abdallah, Hamza Al Dahdouh, Mustafa Thuraya, Ismail Al Ghoul, Rami Al Refee, Ghassan Najjar, Wissam Kassem, Mohammed Reda, Ayman Al Gedi, Faisal Abu Al Qumsan, Mohammed Al-Ladaa, Fadi Hassouna and Ibrahim Sheikh Ali.
Pope Francis concluded his message with a name to motion, urging journalists and communicators to create narratives that encourage, heal and construct bridges in a divided world.
