” “The Bishops of the Commission for Social Communication of the Spanish Bishops Conference thank the media and their professionals “for the service they render to the free and democratic exercise of public life”, but they warn that this service “cannot be built by steering clear of God and the transcending values”. The reference is contained in the message sent out by the Spanish Bishops Commission the day before the World Social Communication Day (May 28th). The bishops ask journalists that “when they have to think about reality, they should consider these dimensions without which the informative treatment of reality would not be complete and truthful”. One of the problems of today’s communication, reads the message, is for instance “the public opinion being unaware of the problems of the poorest and most depressed areas of the earth. When is Africa for instance ever talked about? Which of these media speak in depth of the causes that force so many people out of their countries in search of better conditions in Europe, risking their lives for that?” For reliable communication to exist, the journalists, often under pressure, must have “principles, bravery and determination” and once again “think about the principles and foundations of their profession, since a communication without catches involves the overcoming of ideological, economic and political hindrances that sometimes get in the way of true information”.
