The growing challenges of journalism
Monday, September 15, 2025
*Fr. Eduardo Barrios, SJ
Those who want to turn what they see and hear into news stories may have a vocation for journalism. They are also known as communicators, and they pour their enthusiasm for communication into radio, television, social media and, increasingly less, traditional newspapers. We have seen how many print media outlets start by reducing the number of pages they publish, only to disappear completely.
In countries ruled by dictatorships, journalists are subject to the strictest censorship. They can only publish news favorable to the autocratic regime. Those who dare to speak or write about the mistakes of that totalitarian government risk deportation, imprisonment, or worse.
There are other countries where journalists must self-censor because, if they reveal the misdeeds of criminal groups, they may be killed. In our hemisphere, many journalists have been eliminated by hit men working for organized crime. Too many journalists have been killed in Mexico, Colombia and, sadly, other countries as well.
It is also risky to criticize Muslims. If you hurt the religious feelings of fundamentalist Islamists, you can consider yourself sentenced to death. Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, still lives in fear.
All recent popes have offered encouragement to those engaged in journalism, but we will limit ourselves to discussing the current Supreme Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV.
This pope is deeply concerned about the issue of peace, which is what journalism should be promoting most today. "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9) is the beatitude that they should make their own. Of course, this does not exclude other topics centered on truth, goodness, and even beauty.
The pope supports the aspiration of all communicators to work where freedom of expression is guaranteed by the government. However, they must enjoy that freedom in a responsible and constructive manner, without becoming agents of hatred, fanaticism, prejudice, and resentment. To underscore his message, the pope urges us to "disarm words," for hurtful words act like projectiles as lethal as bullets.
Those who report the news must overcome the temptation to sell their talent to the interests of powerful groups. Instead, they must become the voice of the voiceless. They should defend the most vulnerable members of society by giving visibility to their just demands.
Journalists must be studious. They should not give in to mediocrity, but rather thoroughly investigate what they intend to report. Their aim should not be limited solely to the accuracy of the content; it should also extend to the quality of the writing.
To write well, one needs to possess a broad vocabulary and express oneself with precision and conciseness. Only the necessary number of words should be used. If vocabulary is lacking, the reader will not be able to understand clearly. And if one falls into wordiness, the reader becomes bored and gives up reading. Modern readers do not enjoy much leisure. Few dare to read lengthy novels such as those of Tolstoy, Victor Hugo, and James A. Michener.
It is regrettable that the new generation of young people suffers from a form of illiteracy, since many write only on their cellphones using abbreviations.
We must promote the study of good literature, along with exercises in oratory and style. Only then will we produce good journalists for the present and the future.
