The newly appointed Bishop of San Sebastián, Spain, has banned the broadcasting of content produced by the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) on the local diocesan TV station.
The decision by Bishop Fernando Prado Ayuso was conveyed just two days after the bishop was installed in his role.
“By virtue of the faculties that, as diocesan bishop, I have over the organisation of communications media in the diocese and trying to favour the communion of the diocese with the Successor of Peter, I hereby decree that going forward, and until further notice, no content from the EWTN channel will be broadcast in the diocesan television BETANIA,” said the decree dated December 19, 2022.
EWTN is the world’s largest Catholic media conglomerate, with an international audience of over 380 million television households in 150 countries and territories.
Ayuso’s decision surprised some because Pope Francis has spoken extensively on the role of media in the Catholic Church, emphasising the need for responsible and ethical journalism that promotes the common good and fosters understanding and unity.
Only parrots communicate without listening to the response of their interlocutors.
Pope Francis praises journalists
In 2021, Pope Francis called on journalists to combat the spread of misinformation and fake news, which he described as a “virus” that poisons the public discourse and undermines democracy.
He urged them to uphold the truth, seek out multiple sources, and report with integrity and impartiality.
While the pope has sometimes been critical of the media, he has also praised journalists’ work.
In November 2021, Pope Francis thanked journalists for reporting about “what is wrong in the Church, for helping us not to sweep it under the carpet and for the voice you have given to the victims of abuse”.
“A good journalist needs to be curious about reality and passionate about telling it,” he said.
Then again, speaking with the members of the Dicastery for Communication, Francis emphasised that communication is a two-way process.
“There is no one-way communication: it goes and comes back; it goes and comes back. And in this we too grow.”
“Only parrots communicate without listening to the response of their interlocutors.”
Communication, he added, is “a human connection” which should resemble a telephone conversation in which a person speaks but also listens.
The Pope noted that this dialogue “always brings risks” because it means overcoming the temptation toward inertia where nothing changes even if it is poorly received.
He summed up his meaning with the idea of “communicative restlessness”, which drives journalists and media professionals to “go towards” their audience.
“Strive forward,” he told the Vatican’s media professionals. “Take risks and don’t be afraid! Take risks, to meet the other in communication.”