Weary journalists got a pep talk from none other than Pope Francis this week, with the head of the Roman Catholic Church calling for "rediscovering the dignity of journalism" and condemning fake news.
Francis released a message Wednesday called "The truth will set you free: Fake news and journalism for peace." Armed with evidence of biblical proportions, the Pope went about defining fake news and instructing us how to recognize it and combat it.
Frankly, we could use all the help we can get in that department.
SEE ALSO:The first scientific fake news study is here to confirm your worst fears about America"Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred," Pope Francis said. "That is the end result of untruth."
Pope Francis even compared fake news to the the Serpent's manipulation of Eve in the Garden of Eden.
The Pope chose to speak on this topic as one of his "world communication day" addresses. But this isn't the first time he's tackled urgent issues that are relevant to religious and secular audiences alike. Francis has previously spoken out in support of DACA, and he even issued a papal statement on climate change. His stances often run directly counter to Donald Trump's, which has led to some awkward encounters.
This recent message isn't likely to change things. Trump often rants about "fake news," but Trump's definition of "fake news" is misinformation itself: Trump has been known to call all news that criticizes him "fake news," which is in line with the public's eroding trust in journalism and lack of clarity about what is fake, and what is fact.
Tweet may have been deleted
While Francis may have waded into some well-trodden digital waters in his fake news call-to-arms, maybe the moral dimension that he's bringing to our digital moment is something that's missing.
"The economic and manipulative aims that feed disinformation are rooted in a thirst for power," the Pope says. "That is why education for truth means teaching people how to discern, evaluate and understand our deepest desires and inclinations, lest we lose sight of what is good and yield to every temptation."
"Truth is something we can lean on so as not to fall."
Let's hope so, because it's a long way down.
TopicsDonald Trump
(责任编辑：娛樂)
What brands need to know about virtual reality
Amazon is bringing Alexa voice controls to your car, even when it's offline
Senator reaches for nonexistent glasses and takes them off anyway
Cryptocurrency pickup lines will make your Tinder success surge to an allThis weird squid looks like it has googly eyes, guysCat gets stuck in the most awkward position ever
Anyone with a cat can tell you that although their cat's claws are impressive scratching and hunting
...[详细]Timothée Chalamet was reportedly wrong about contract silencing him on Woody Allen
Call Me By Your Name's Timothée Chalamet announced that he donated his salary from his work o
...[详细]Nintendo Labo is a new DIY way to play games on the Switch
Nintendo has revealed a whole new lineup of video game accessories for the Switch ... and they're al
...[详细]Facebook teams up with Xiaomi, Qualcomm on new Oculus Go VR headset
In October, Facebook announced the Oculus Go, a standalone VR headset that doesn't require a smartph
...[详细]There's a big piece of fake chicken stuck to this phone case
If the perfect smartphone case signals a bit about who its owner is, then this silicon fried chicken
...[详细]This cryptocurrency correction is a good thing
If you own Bitcoin, Ethereum, or pretty much any other cryptocurrency, your portfolio isn't looking
...[详细]Um, did Barack Obama win HQ Trivia last night?
What do you do when you finally get a break after eight years of running a country? You've got plent
...[详细]Jake Tapper, Stephen Miller spar on CNN, supporters spar on Twitter
2018 is already off to a surreal, hot fire start thanks, in part, to a lot of fire and fury over Mic
...[详细]More than half of women in advertising have faced sexual harassment, report says
If you are a woman in advertising, chances are you've faced workplace sexual harassment at one point
...[详细]Aziz Ansari skips SAG Awards following sexual misconduct accusation
Golden Globe winner Aziz Ansari kept his distance from this year's SAG Awards following recent accus
...[详细]Photos show the Blue Cut fire blazing a path of destruction in California
Bitcoin conference stops accepting bitcoin for tickets, oh the irony
