Vatican City (AsiaNews) Evangelising and contributing to the promotion of "what is good and true, especially in regard to the meaning of human and social existence," and at the same time "denounce what is false, especially pernicious trends which erode the fabric of a civil society worthy of the human person" are for Benedict XVI the fundamental tasks of social communication media.
For the Holy Father, the media have in fact an "enormous power [. . .] to inform the minds of individuals and to shape their thinking". Hence, they must be "promoters of peace". And "those who own and work" in the media industry must promote "the common good" and never sacrifice it on a "self-serving quest for profit or an ideological agenda with little public accountability."
In his speech to the participants attending the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the Pontiff highlighted some of the problems associated with communication media.
The Pope, who did not mentioned the forthcoming reform of the Holy See's social communication structure, drew "particular attention to the urgent need to uphold and support marriage and family life, the foundation of every culture and society".
Furthermore, in "cooperation with parents, the social communications and entertainment industries can assist in the difficult but sublimely satisfying vocation of bringing up children, through presenting edifying models of human life and love."