Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year B: World Communications Sunday –May 13, 2018. 

Readings: John 17:11b-19.

Introduction

Friends in Christ, today is the Seventh Sunday of Easter and World Communications Sunday  – This is a day which the Holy Father gives a theological appreciation of technological advances in media with a view to reminding the world that the media should be used in the service of evangelisation. Media workers and Directors of Social Communications are expected to use this occasion to advance the course of human communication as a major component of digital communications while showcasing the Church’s view of what good communication is about. This Sunday’s reflection is weaved around the Holy Father’s message for this celebration.

Review of the Holy Father’s 2018 WCS Message

1. Fake news appeals to peoples stereotypes and common social prejudices even as it exploits instantaneous emotions like anxiety, contempt, anger and frustration;

2. Fake news relies on a manipulative sue of the social networks and the way they function;

3. Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypertensive attitude which leads to arrogance and hatred as the end result of untruth;

4.  The most radical antidote to the virus of falsehood is purification by the truth;

5.  For Christians, truth involves the whole of life because it carries the sense of support, solidarity and trust;

6.  Truth can be found when people work at everything that encourages communion and promotes goodness;

7.  Truth flows from free relationships between persons and listening to one another;

8.  Truth can be recognized by its fruits namely, those things which promote informed and mature reflection leading to constructive dialogue and fruitful results;

9. The best antidote to falsehoods are people who listen and are engage in sincere dialogue geared towards peace as well as those who are attracted by goodness and are ready to take responsibility for how they use language;

10.  Promoting peace journalism entails viewing peace as the true news which promotes truth and is at the service of humanity.

Application/Ten Takeaways from Pope Francis’ 2018 WCS Message

In line with Pope Francis 2018 World Communications’ Day Message in which the Holy Father charges us to beware of fake news and propagate journalism for peace, as Catholics and media workers, the task ahead entails that we:

1. Stay clear of fake news because it deals with disinformation based distorted data meant to deceive and manipulate the reader;

2. Uphold communication as part of God’s plan for us and an essential way to experience fellowship;

2. Resist the symptomatic condition of twisting the truth by being faithful to the pursuit of goodness;

3. Create educational programmes aimed at helping people to interpret and assess information provided by the media and take an active part in unmasking falsehood;

4. Commence institutional and legal initiatives aimed at developing regulations for curbing fake news on the one hand and promoting journalism for peace on the other;

5. Defend the truth while avoiding economic and manipulative reportage which feeds on misinformation and is rooted in the thirst for power, vain pleasure and destroys our interior freedom;

6. Create educational programmes aimed at helping people to interpret and access information provided by the media and teaching them to take an active part in unmasking falsehood;

7. Ensure that both government and private institutions take legal initiatives aimed at developing regulations to curb the production and dissemination of fake news;

8. Make sure that all stakeholders work towards unmasking the “snake-tactics” which is used by faceless people for reception and spreading falsehood;

9. Create ways in which media professionals conscientise the people about the dangers of fake news such as, economic and manipulative reasons;

10. Ensure that Directors of Communication to educate the public that disinformation feeds on quest for power which makes us victims of something much more tragic

Conclusion

In conclusion, this Sunday calls us to reflect on the dangers of fake news. Hate speech is a subsidiary of fake news. What this means is that as we approach an election year, Christians and in fact all stakeholders must create avenues of conscientizing the public about the dangers of hate speech and spreading false news. As a Post-Easter people, we are challenged to be apostles of the Good News for which the early apostles lived and died for. May God help all those who work

in the media to not only spread the truth but stand for it come rain, come shine. Happy World Communications’ Sunday!