Scottish Catholic Observer

The world is generally prepared to hear the Pope’s message in early January on the World Day of Prayer for Peace. This year was no different. And yet it was. Pope Francis has his own way of inspiring, of urging human kind to do and be better. He regularly comes into contact with media and communication professionals, and social media, so therefore he sees the scope for God’s message to reach a wider audience through them. And yet he still directly cuts to the chase when required. This New Year, in addition to his message for peace and his programme for the Year of Mercy, the Pope urged the world’s media to make more room for ‘good news.’

”How many great gestures of goodness, love and solidarity have filled the days of this year, even if they are not on television news programs?” he said. “Good things don’t make the news.”

This does not mean, however, we have to stop reporting the challenges presented by global news headlines or whitewash when things go wrong for and in the Church, an accusation often levied in the past at the Catholic press. The Holy Father doesn’t want the world to ignore the suffering of so many people. He is calling, instead, for the press to stop sensationalising and even milking the bad news—a trend in the secular press that worringly crosses over into other specialist publications—and make room (in our reports and in our lives) for the joy and wonder of what is being achieved, what is being put right as opposed to only focusing on what is going wrong.

Communicators and consumers of news alike must not bury our heads in the sand, instead we must redouble our efforts not be to dragged into the pit of despair that so often dominates each news broadcast and find the positivity to balance our reports and publications. In effect, we are being called to redefine the very meaning of ‘what is news?’

If the bad news is what people wanted then newspaper sales would not be dipping, according to Church spokesmen in Scotland. Perhaps this is an over simplification and yet what goes viral on digital and social media? The silly, the trival, yes, but also the joyful, those stories that restore our faith.

The Catholic press has always aimed to bring you the Good News of Christ. Please, in 2016 and beyond, help us also to bring the good news from our schools, parishes, diocese, religious orders and Catholic organisations.

And for those who have written off the Catholic press in the past, have mercy and take another look at what is being achieved.