Pope Francis has urged foreign correspondents to humbly use the power of the press to search for the truth and give voice to the voiceless, calling journalism an important tool to counter hatred and fake news.
In an audience Saturday with the Foreign Press Associationin Rome, Francis also urged journalists to not fall prey to click-baitheadlines and half-reported stories, saying errors can not only misrepresentthe truth but damage entire communities. While Francis meets with journalistsregularly during his foreign trips, it was the first time a pope has receivedthe Foreign Press Association since St John Paul II in 1988.Francis said he and the Catholic Church at largeappreciate the work of journalists “even when you touch a raw nerve,including within the ecclesial community.”