On Sunday, 1 June, the Catholic Church will observe the 59th World Day of Social Communications. The day is significant because ‘communication’ is an important and integral dimension of the Church. ‘Communications Day’ is one of the oldest ‘special days’ observed by the Church. The message for this year was written by the late Pope Francis on the theme: “Share with gentleness the hope that is in your hearts” (cf. 1 Pet 3:15-16).
In his message, Pope Francis sets the agenda for what communication should be today. He makes a fervent appeal for “disarming communication,” saying, among other things, “Too often today, communication generates not hope, but fear and despair, prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred. All too often it simplifies reality in order to provoke instinctive reactions; it uses words like a razor; it even uses false or artfully distorted information to send messages designed to agitate, provoke or hurt. On several occasions, I have spoken of our need to ‘disarm’ communication and to purify it of aggressiveness. It never helps to reduce reality to slogans. All of us see how—from television talk shows to verbal attacks on social media—there is a risk that the paradigm of competition, opposition, the will to dominate and possess, and the manipulation of public opinion will prevail.”
He goes on to add, “There is also another troubling phenomenon: what we might call the ‘programmed dispersion of attention’ through digital systems that, by profiling us according to the logic of the market, modify our perception of reality. As a result, we witness, often helplessly, a sort of atomization of interests that ends up undermining the foundations of our existence as community, our ability to join in the pursuit of the common good, to listen to one another and to understand each other’s point of view. Identifying an ‘enemy’ to lash out against thus appears indispensable as a way of asserting ourselves. Yet when others become our ‘enemies’, when we disregard their individuality and dignity in order to mock and deride them, we also lose the possibility of generating hope. As Don Tonino Bello observed, all conflicts ‘start when individual faces melt away and disappear.’ We must not surrender to this mindset.”
This message of hope, through meaningful communication, comes at a time when the world is in great turmoil: wars and conflict, hate and violence, lies and disinformation, fascism and fanaticism, divisiveness and discrimination, demonisation and denigration, polarisation and prejudice, exclusivism and xenophobia rule the roost! These painful realities call the shots today. The space for truth and for standing up for what is right—for questioning and dissent—is shrinking, particularly in countries that pride themselves on being ‘democracies’!
Pope Francis makes a fervent appeal: “Try to promote a communication that can heal the wounds of our humanity. Make room for the heartfelt trust that, like a slender but resistant flower, does not succumb to the ravages of life but blossoms and grows in the most unexpected places. It is there in the hope of those mothers who daily pray to see their children return from the trenches of a conflict, and in the hope of those fathers who emigrate at great risk in search of a better future. It is also there in the hope of those children who somehow manage to play, laugh and believe in life even amid the debris of war and in the impoverished streets of favelas.” Communication today must be of hope and of peace!
Very significantly, on 12 May, addressing representatives of the international media in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV reiterated the words of Pope Francis, saying, “I repeat to you today the invitation made by Pope Francis in his message for this year’s World Day of Social Communications: let us disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred; let us free it from aggression. We do not need loud, forceful communication, but rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice. Let us disarm words, and we will help to disarm the world. Disarmed and disarming communication allows us to share a different view of the world and to act in a manner consistent with our human dignity. You are at the forefront of reporting on conflicts and aspirations for peace, on situations of injustice and poverty, and on the silent work of so many people striving to create a better world. For this reason, I ask you to choose consciously and courageously the path of communication in favour of peace.”
In his address, Pope Leo also said, “Let me, therefore, reiterate today the Church’s solidarity with journalists who are imprisoned for seeking to report the truth, and with these words, I also ask for the release of these imprisoned journalists. The Church recognises in these witnesses—I am thinking of those who report on war even at the cost of their lives—the courage of those who defend dignity, justice and the right of people to be informed, because only informed individuals can make free choices.” He concluded his address by repeating, “You are at the forefront of reporting on conflicts and aspirations for peace, on situations of injustice and poverty, and on the silent work of so many people striving to create a better world. For this reason, I ask you to choose consciously and courageously the path of communication in favour of peace.”
India is still ranked at a pathetic 151 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2025, published earlier in May. The index, in its India section, analyses the state of media in the country, stating, “India’s media has fallen into an ‘unofficial state of emergency’ since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014 and engineered a spectacular rapprochement between his party, the BJP, and the big families dominating the media. Reliance Industries group’s magnate Mukesh Ambani, a close friend of the prime minister, owns more than 70 media outlets that are followed by at least 800 million Indians. The NDTV channel’s acquisition at the end of 2022 by Gautam Adani, a tycoon who is also close to Modi, signalled the end of pluralism in the mainstream media. Recent years have also seen the rise of ‘Godi media’ (a play on Modi's name and the word for ‘lapdogs’)—media outlets that mix populism and pro-BJP propaganda. Through pressure and influence, the Indian model of a pluralist press is being called into question. The prime minister does not hold press conferences, grants interviews only to journalists who are favourable to him, and is highly critical of those who do not show allegiance. Indian journalists who are very critical of the government are subjected to harassment campaigns by BJP-backed trolls.”
What this impartial annual report states is the stark reality of Indian media today. A fairly large section of the media in India is spineless—totally godified! They spew out falsities and half-truths, platitudes and hollowness fed to them by their political bosses. Most of the media is owned and controlled by corporate houses that toe the line of the ruling regime. The electronic media earn their TRPs through debates full of shouting and shrieking, with anchors clearly acting as ‘chamchas’ of those in power—for obvious reasons. If any journalist dares challenge the status quo, it could mean the end of their career. The media, in general, is co-opted, compromised, and even prone to corruption. Many simply ignore realities for fear of reprisals. Even the suffering of the people in Gaza does not get the necessary coverage. Authenticity, objectivity, impartiality—just the plain truth—is hardly on the radar of most media today!
One only has to look around to see what is happening in the country today: in Bastar and in Manipur, the frequent attacks on minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians; bulldozing of Muslims and the poor from their homes and lands; lynching of innocent people just because they belong to another faith; the growing gap between rich and poor; spiralling prices; an unemployment crisis and unfulfilled job promises; wanton destruction of the environment; denial of human rights to vast sections of the population; the communalisation and criminalisation of politics; the legitimisation of corruption, lies and half-truths—and much more. No mainstream media has the courage to consistently address or highlight these and other ills that plague the ordinary citizens of India today!
Given the incisive messages of Pope Francis and Pope Leo regarding communication—and the grim realities of today—there are several serious challenges that Catholic communicators (and, in fact, all communicators) in India face. These include:
- The courage to speak truth to power: to communicate authentic information (without fear or favour) on injustices, war crimes, discrimination, violence, and the mafia that plunders our precious natural resources, and on rampant corruption
- Solidarity with all communicators (including citizens who use social media to highlight facts) who are harassed, intimidated or even incarcerated for communicating the truth (like Dr. Ali Khan Mahmudabad of Ashoka University)
- Taking a stand against every form of violence, particularly hate and provocative speeches that tend to divide, denigrate, polarise, and manipulate people
- Being a visible and strong voice for the voiceless—especially victims of an unjust, brutal and revengeful system, particularly the poor and illiterate, minorities and the marginalised, the excluded and exploited, refugees and migrants, Adivasis, Dalits and OBCs, small farmers and casual labourers, slum dwellers and the homeless, victims of trafficking, women and children, LGBTQIA+ communities, and all other vulnerable sections of society
- Protecting and propagating Article 19 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees fundamental freedoms, primarily the right to freedom of speech and expression, as well as rights to assemble, associate, move, reside, practise a profession, dissent, and protest
Above all, in a world that reeks of untruth, despair, and darkness, communicators have the heavy responsibility of being bearers of truth, hope, and light.
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Fr Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, reconciliation, and peace activist/writer
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