World Touch
POPE FRANCIS: “Check Facts But Always Respect People”
As misinformation continues to swirl regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis is calling on journalists, especially Catholic media professionals, to verify the facts they report while adopting a respectful attitude toward those who produce and consume fake news.
PUBLISHED ON
Apr 2022Meeting with members of the International Catholic Media Consortium, the Pope reflected on the theme of communications and truth. The consortium–run up by Aleteia and I Media, two news websites, and Verificat, a fact-checking agency–set up the “Catholic FactChecking” website in early 2021. Pope Francis lauded the organization’s goal of seeking to unmask “fake news and partial or misleading information” about COVID-19 vaccines and ethical questions related to them.