Media have little interest in truth
Contrary to Mr Barry’s claims, secularist liberals, especially those in the media, have much to gain by attacking Catholic clergy. And indeed they do.
While the Catholic hierarchy may have lost much of its status, power, and authority since Vatican II, the Catholic Church remains the last bastion of orthodoxy against the major evils of abortion, contraception, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, euthanasia embryonic stem cell research and cloning.
It is not without reason that Catholicism is generally regarded around the world as the last acceptable prejudice. It is not only the case that journalists and editors try to promote their viewpoints through what they write... they also promote their viewpoint by what they publish and don’t publish, as anyone who submits article or letters to various newspapers will know.
In addition to this bias, the media is interested first and foremost in sales and, therefore, controversy. Their interest in the truth is minimal. The fundamental moral requirement of all communication is respect for and service to the truth. By accurately reporting events and correctly explaining issues, the media had a strict duty to foster justice and solidarity in human relationships at all levels of society.
The media serve freedom by serving truth: they obstruct freedom to the extent that they depart from what is true by disseminating falsehoods or creating a climate of unsound emotional reaction to events. Only when people have free access to true and sufficient information can they pursue the common good and hold public authority accountable.
If the media are to serve freedom, they themselves must be free and correctly use that freedom. Their privileged status obliges the media to rise above purely commercial concerns and serve society’s true needs and interests. The power of the communications media is such that in a few days they can create the positive or negative public reaction to events which suits their purposes. Reasonable people will realise that such enormous power calls for the highest standards of commitment to truth and goodness.
Paul Kokoski
234 Columbia Drive
Hamilton
Ontario L9C 3Y9
Canada
