"The role played by social communication in society is to be regarded by now as an integral part of the anthropological question, which seems to be the crucial challenge of the third millennium". This is the belief of the Pope, who comments: "Not much differently from what happens in human life, in marriage and in the big contemporary issues about peace, justice and the protection of Creation, some constituent dimensions of man and his truth are at play in social communication as well". "When communication loses its ethical grip and gets beyond the control of society warns the Holy Father , it ends up no longer considering the centrality and inviolable dignity of man, thus risking negatively affecting his conscience, his choices, and ultimately impairing people’s freedom and life". Because of this, "it is essential that social communication jealously defend the person and fully respect its dignity", highlights the Pope, who explains with these words the need for "info-ethics". All this, because "the extraordinary prevalence" of the media in people’s lives and in society "is largely recognised", but "the turning point, or rather the veritable change of role, that they are facing today should be emphasised now".
