Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
La Paz (Agenzia Fides) – The Committee on Missions of the Bolivian Bishops' Conference (CEB) sent a note to Fides on the "Journalist's Day" that was celebrated last May 10, in the context of World Communications Day. Bishop Antonio Reimman, Bishop of Ñuflo de Chavez and President of the Evangelization Department of the CEB, sent a message to all journalists in the country on the work they do in society. In the message he says: "As a Church we are in the second year of the Permanent [on-going] Mission which has its origin in Aparecida, with the central slogan: 'Missionary Disciple, Learn From the Master.' We can say that the social communicator learns from the master. We know that we were created in the image and likeness of God, who transforms us into one family and a permanent/on-going communication.
Bishop Reimman also wrote that we must learn from God regarding a permanent and perfect communication, starting from the principles and values like truth, freedom, justice, and love, because true communication must have these principles.
Father Thelian Corona, rector of the Salesian University of La Paz, spoke about the mission of the journalist and communicator, recalling that objectively informing and forming public opinion is the responsibility of the communicator, especially in these days, as information is not always presented objectively. For reasons of conscience and ethics, each professional must engage these principles in order to act and have them clear in their conscience.
The priest stressed that currently, one feels pressure on the media in respect for freedom of expression: "It seems that some powerful organizations are lobbying to ensure that what they want is reported on, and thus anything that is to the contrary is a reason to pursue, disqualify, or attack journalists and media." Communicating the truth means being bound to objectivity and to the ethic of those who transmit information: each news item has a resonance, an echo in the person who reads, hears, or sees the information, therefore the communicator always has great responsibility to communicate the truth. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 05/15/2010)
