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Pope urges press to unearth truth

Published:Sunday | May 19, 2019 | 12:00 AM
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The Associated Press
Pope Francis leaves at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday May 15, 2019.
The Associated Press
Pope Francis shares a laugh with a group of faithful as he poses for a family photo, at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday May 15, 2019.
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VATICAN CITY (AP):

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 Association in Rome, Francis also urged journalists to not fall prey to click-bait headlines and half-reported stories, saying errors can not only misrepresent the truth but damage entire communities.

While Francis meets with journalists regularly during his foreign trips, it was the first time a pope has received the Foreign Press Association since John Paul II in 1988.

Francis said he and the Catholic Church at large appreciated the work of journalists “even when you touch a raw nerve, including within the ecclesial community”.