Chapter, Paragraph

  1   I, 1 | nevertheless people choose whether to use the media for good or
  2   I, 1 |             These choices, central to the ethical question, are
  3   I, 2 |         Toward a Pastoral Approach To Culture, 9); and the twentieth
  4   I, 2 |          have been only a prologue to what this new century will
  5   I, 2 |      diversity of media accessible to people in well-to-do countries
  6   I, 2 |    outpouring range from hard news to pure entertainment, prayer
  7   I, 2 |         pure entertainment, prayer to pornography, contemplation
  8   I, 2 |         pornography, contemplation to violence. Depending on how
  9   I, 3 |          collapse (cf. Gn 11:4-8), to Pentecost and the gift of
 10   I, 3 |          Sent forth into the world to announce the good news (
 11   I, 3 |          Church also knows herself to be a communio, a communion
 12   I, 3 |  Trinitarian communion reaches out to humankind: The Son is the
 13   I, 3 |          himself and his salvation to women and men. "In many
 14   I, 3 |      various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets;
 15   I, 3 |            last days he has spoken to us by a Son" (Heb 1:1-2).
 16   I, 4 |           4. The Church's approach to the means of social communication
 17   I, 4 |        considers these instruments to be not only products of
 18   I, 4 |           Missio, 37). She desires to support those who are professionally
 19   I, 4 |            out positive principles to assist them in their work,
 20   I, 4 |       tools, used as people choose to use them. In reflecting
 21   I, 4 |     becoming truly better, that is to say more mature spiritually,
 22   I, 4 |        more responsible, more open to others, especially the neediest
 23   I, 4 |           the weakest, and readier to give and to aid all" (Pope
 24   I, 4 |            and readier to give and to aid all" (Pope John Paul
 25   I, 4 | conscientious individuals who want to do the right thing. Public
 26   I, 4 |        corporate executives desire to respect and promote the
 27   I, 4 |         listeners and viewers want to use their time well for
 28   I, 4 |  professional communicators desire to use their talents to serve
 29   I, 4 |        desire to use their talents to serve the human family,
 30   I, 4 |          and ideological pressures to lower ethical standards
 31   I, 4 |           are different from group to group and individual to
 32   I, 4 |            to group and individual to individual, but the choices
 33   I, 4 |     ethical weight and are subject to ethical evaluation. To choose
 34   I, 4 |     subject to ethical evaluation. To choose rightly, those choosing
 35   I, 4 |       rightly, those choosing need to "know the principles of
 36   I, 5 |       Church brings several things to this conversation.~She brings
 37   I, 5 |            an important corrective to "the ‘atheistic' solution,
 38   I, 5 |      namely the spiritual one, and to permissive and consumerist
 39   I, 5 |        under various pretexts seek to convince man that he is
 40   I, 5 |           offers itself in service to the media. For example, "
 41   I, 5 |         also brings something else to the conversation. Her special
 42   I, 5 |           Her special contribution to human affairs, including
 43   I, 5 |            love, fully reveals man to himself and brings to light
 44   I, 5 |          man to himself and brings to light his most high calling" (
 45  II, 6 |          that the media are called to serve human dignity by helping
 46  II, 6 |          encouraging men and women to be conscious of their dignity,
 47  II, 6 |    communication has immense power to promote human happiness
 48  II, 6 |    fulfillment. Without pretending to do more than give an overview,
 49  II, 7 |       interest, and enables people to make informed choices by
 50  II, 7 |          collapse, with great harm to countless people and to
 51  II, 7 |            to countless people and to society.~
 52  II, 8 |            and goals, thus helping to form and sustain authentic
 53  II, 8 |        office. They enable leaders to communicate quickly and
 54  II, 8 |       while also calling attention to instances of competence,
 55  II, 8 |  public-spiritedness, and devotion to duty.~
 56  II, 9 |  communication offer people access to literature, drama, music,
 57  II, 9 |          art otherwise unavailable to them, and so promote human
 58  II, 9 |       human development in respect to knowledge and wisdom and
 59  II, 9 |         possible for ethnic groups to cherish and celebrate their
 60  II, 9 |          others, and transmit them to new generations. In particular,
 61  II, 9 |          children and young people to their cultural heritage.
 62  II, 9 |          Pope John Paul II, Letter to Artists, 4).~
 63  II, 10|         many contexts, from school to workplace, and at many stages
 64  II, 10|      Preschoolers being introduced to the rudiments of reading
 65  II, 10|        have access via these means to a rich and growing panoply
 66  II, 10|    bringing learning opportunities to villagers in remote areas,
 67  II, 11|          opportunities for worship to persons confined to their
 68  II, 11|        worship to persons confined to their homes or to institutions.~
 69  II, 11|         confined to their homes or to institutions.~Sometimes,
 70  II, 11|   Sometimes, too, media contribute to people's spiritual enrichment
 71  II, 11|           Father's pastoral visits to countless millions.~
 72  II, 12|      others, the media can be used to build and sustain human
 73  II, 12|            all communication ought to be open to community among
 74  II, 12|     communication ought to be open to community among persons.~"
 75  II, 12|           among persons.~"In order to become brothers and sisters,
 76  II, 12|           sisters, it is necessary to know one another. To do
 77  II, 12|     necessary to know one another. To do this, it is...important
 78  II, 12|            this, it is...important to communicate more extensively
 79  II, 12|       community members in respect to the common good of all.
 80  II, 12|            and dialogue are needed to discern this common good.
 81  II, 12|         imperative for the parties to social communication to
 82  II, 12|            to social communication to engage in such dialogue
 83  II, 12|     dialogue and submit themselves to the truth about what is
 84  II, 12|          can meet their obligation to "witness to the truth about
 85  II, 12|       their obligation to "witness to the truth about life, about
 86 III, 13|         The media also can be used to block community and injure
 87 III, 14|           media sometimes are used to build and sustain economic
 88 III, 14|            as its only parameters, to the detriment of the dignity
 89 III, 14|     dignity of and the respect due to individuals and peoples" (
 90 III, 14|           communication that ought to benefit all are exploited
 91 III, 14|     oversee and direct the economy to the common good" (Centesimus
 92 III, 14|           for communicators simply to say that their job is to
 93 III, 14|           to say that their job is to report things as they are.
 94 III, 14|     technology are factors helping to make some people "information
 95 III, 14|             media often contribute to the injustices and imbalances
 96 III, 14|          imbalances that give rise to suffering they report. "
 97 III, 14|           report. "It is necessary to break down the barriers
 98 III, 14|        margins of development, and to provide all individuals
 99 III, 14|  conditions which will enable them to share in development" (Centesimus
100 III, 15|         together, media then serve to drive them apart, creating
101 III, 15|       common for political leaders to manipulate public opinion
102 III, 15|        rights, including the right to life (cf. Pope John Paul
103 III, 15|           life" by "lending credit to that culture which presents
104 III, 15|            which presents recourse to contraception, sterilization,
105 III, 16|      although they are not obliged to be somber and dull, they
106 III, 16|            either. It is no excuse to say the media reflect popular
107 III, 16|         and so have a serious duty to uplift, not degrade, them.~
108 III, 16|           is grossly irresponsible to ignore or dismiss the fact
109 III, 16|     virtually excluded from access to popular media in some places
110 III, 16|     particular attention should go to providing children and young
111 III, 16|         Toward a Pastoral Approach To Culture, 33). That so much
112 III, 16|             from developed nations to the developing and the poor -
113 III, 16|   questions. Have the rich nothing to learn from the poor? Are
114 III, 16|        poor? Are the powerful deaf to the voices of the weak?~
115 III, 17|     distract people and cause them to waste time. Children and
116 III, 17|          also suffer from exposure to banal, trashy presentations.
117 III, 17|            and denying them access to information the authorities
118 III, 17|       authorities do not want them to have. This is a perversion
119 III, 17|     genuine education, which seeks to expand people's knowledge
120 III, 18|       religious views that conform to secular tastes over those
121 III, 18|          those that do not; trying to imprison transcendence within
122 III, 18|      without reference of any kind to the transcendent" (Fides
123 III, 18|    negative view of media; failing to understand that reasonable
124 III, 19|           exercise intended simply to motivate, persuade or sell.
125 III, 19|          times reduce human beings to units of consumption or
126 III, 19|          the task of communication to bring people together and
127 III, 19|            properly used, can help to create and sustain a human
128  IV, 20|            other fields also apply to social communication. Principles
129  IV, 20|           since truth is essential to individual liberty and to
130  IV, 20|          to individual liberty and to authentic community among
131  IV, 20|         dimension relates not just to the content of communication (
132  IV, 20|         communicating is done) but to fundamental structural and
133  IV, 20|              These questions point to other questions with economic
134  IV, 20|         question of all may be how to balance profit against service
135  IV, 20|     balance profit against service to the public interest understood
136  IV, 20|      interest understood according to an inclusive conception
137  IV, 20|           of the common good.~Even to reasonable people of good
138  IV, 20|       always immediately clear how to apply ethical principles
139  IV, 20|       ethical principles and norms to particular cases; reflection,
140  IV, 21| communication should be by persons to persons for the integral
141  IV, 21|            also requires attention to the "inner dimension" (Sollicitudo
142  IV, 21|           deserves the opportunity to grow and flourish in respect
143  IV, 21|            and flourish in respect to the full range of physical,
144  IV, 21|            may never be sacrificed to collective interests.~
145  IV, 22|         principle is complementary to the first: The good of persons
146  IV, 22|            good of the communities to which they belong. This
147  IV, 22|          of worthy shared purposes to whose pursuit community
148  IV, 22|         which the community exists to serve.~Thus, while social
149  IV, 22|        communication rightly looks to the needs and interests
150  IV, 22|          persevering determination to commit oneself to the common
151  IV, 22|    determination to commit oneself to the common good" (Sollicitudo
152  IV, 22|           Rei Socialis, 38), ought to govern all areas of social
153  IV, 22|     expertise" and "those who fail to keep up with the times can
154  IV, 22|          have a serious moral duty to recognize the needs and
155  IV, 22|    generous and inclusive approach to nations and regions where
156  IV, 22|         communication do - or fail to do - bears a share of the
157  IV, 23|           23. Even so, we continue to believe that "the solution
158  IV, 23|         believe that "the solution to problems arising from unregulated
159  IV, 23|          more regulation according to criteria of public service
160  IV, 23|          their natural inclination to exchange ideas and declare
161  IV, 23|        slander, messages that seek to foster hatred and conflict
162  IV, 23|          violence - where no right to communicate exists. Plainly,
163  IV, 23|            groups likewise deserve to be part of this continuing
164  IV, 24|           communicators "must seek to communicate with people,
165  IV, 24|         people, and not just speak to them. This involves learning
166  IV, 24|         Pope John Paul II, Address to Communications Specialists,
167  IV, 24|       research, are sometimes said to be the best indicators of
168  IV, 24|          for the law of the market to operate. No doubt the market'
169  IV, 24|            should not be left only to the market and to economic
170  IV, 24|        left only to the market and to economic factors - profits -
171  IV, 24|         these cannot be counted on to safeguard either the public
172  IV, 24|           interests of minorities.~To some extent, this objection
173  IV, 24|          of the "niche", according to which particular periodicals,
174  IV, 24|          and channels are directed to particular audiences. The
175  IV, 24|         approach is legitimate, up to a point. But diversification
176  IV, 24|  specialization - organizing media to correspond to audiences
177  IV, 24|     organizing media to correspond to audiences broken down into
178  IV, 24|          messages that are reduced to pure information, a lack
179  IV, 24|         Toward a Pastoral Approach To Culture, 9).~
180  IV, 25|           Communicators attempting to meet their responsibilities
181  IV, 25|            social communication is to be discerning and selective.
182  IV, 25|     responsible choices, according to ethically sound criteria,
183  IV, 25|         sound criteria, about what to read or watch or listen
184  IV, 25|            read or watch or listen to. Today everybody needs some
185  IV, 25|          107). Directed originally to institutes of consecrated
186  IV, 25|            the media, should learn to use them for personal and
187  IV, 25|          of those who have learned to know Christ (cf. Gal 4:17-
188  IV, 25|        parents have a serious duty to help their children learn
189  IV, 25|           their children learn how to evaluate and use the media,
190  IV, 25|       media in the home. According to their age and circumstances,
191  IV, 25|        young people should be open to formation regarding media,
192  IV, 25|    together - will find it helpful to come together in groups
193  IV, 25|            come together in groups to study and discuss the problems
194  IV, 26|         responsibilities in regard to social communication. First
195  IV, 26|        accountability, sensitivity to human rights, and other
196  IV, 26|          media should be committed to communicating the fullness
197  IV, 26|      should encourage use of media to spread the Gospel (cf. Code
198  IV, 26|          they in no way correspond to the message we have to get
199  IV, 26|  correspond to the message we have to get across", one must bear
200  IV, 26|        Towards a Pastoral Approach to Culture, 34). For the Church
201  IV, 26|       Culture, 34). For the Church to speak credibly to people
202  IV, 26|           Church to speak credibly to people today, those who
203  IV, 26|       those who speak for her have to give credible, truthful
204  IV, 26|         credible, truthful answers to these seemingly awkward
205  IV, 26|      including the right of access to the media for this purpose.
206  IV, 26|          one, however, has a right to speak for the Church, or
207  IV, 26|       Similar considerations apply to internal communication in
208  IV, 26|            of expression sensitive to the well being of the community
209  IV, 26|         being of the community and to the role of the Magisterium
210  IV, 26|           exercised with deference to revealed truth and the Church'
211  IV, 26|             is sometimes obliged - to practice secrecy and confidentiality.
212  IV, 26|            are, in fact, dedicated to promoting the interests
213  IV, 26|             so that all who belong to the People of God, and are
214  IV, 26|       toward a common good, attain to salvation" (Lumen Gentium,
215   V, 27|     already is directly accessible to many people in their homes
216   V, 27|          may be. It is commonplace to view events, from sports
217   V, 27|           view events, from sports to wars, happening in real
218   V, 27|           An individual can ascend to heights of human genius
219   V, 27|       genius and virtue, or plunge to the depths of human degradation,
220   V, 28|       remain, only media - that is to say: instruments, tools,
221   V, 28|          of established principles to new circumstances. And this
222   V, 28|          which everyone has a role to play. Ethics in the media
223   V, 28|           that this document seeks to encourage and assist must
224   V, 29|             will they be committed to the common good? Or will
225   V, 29|          inward-looking, committed to the benefit of particular
226   V, 29|         each; or will it be a tool to enrich the rich and empower
227   V, 29|      empower the powerful? We have to choose.~The means of communication
228   V, 29|     communication also can be used to separate and isolate. More
229   V, 29|           technology allows people to assemble packages of information
230   V, 29|             of the future turn out to be a vast, fragmented network
231   V, 29|            for people consistently to communicate honestly with
232   V, 29|           the reaching out of mind to mind and heart to heart
233   V, 29|          of mind to mind and heart to heart any less fragile,
234   V, 29|         less sensitive, less prone to fail.~
235   V, 30|            which the Church brings to the discussion of these
236   V, 30|        people stumble through life to the very edge of the abyss
237   V, 30|   expertise "leads her necessarily to extend her religious mission
238   V, 30|       extend her religious mission to the various fields" of human
239   V, 30|            and the human community to herself; she must share
240   V, 30|       aware that people can say no to the truth - and to her.~
241   V, 30|          say no to the truth - and to her.~Attempting to foster
242   V, 30|             and to her.~Attempting to foster and support high
243   V, 30|         who have a particular duty to protect and promote the
244   V, 31|            divine Artist passes on to the human artist" - and,
245   V, 31|       artist" - and, we might say, to the communicator as well - "
246   V, 31|     surpassing wisdom, calling him to share in his creative power";
247   V, 31|         creative power"; in coming to understand this, artists
248   V, 31|            and communicators "come to a full understanding of
249   V, 31|         and their mission" (Letter to Artists, 1).~The Christian
250   V, 31|        prophetic task, a vocation: to speak out against the false
251   V, 31|          rest - holding up for all to see a body of moral truth
252   V, 31|         human life from conception to natural death; and seeking
253   V, 31|         all things and return them to the Father (cf. 1 Cor 15:
254   V, 32|          reflections are addressed to all persons of good will,
255   V, 32|      appropriate, in bringing them to a close, to speak of Jesus
256   V, 32|          bringing them to a close, to speak of Jesus as a model
257   V, 32|         God the Father "has spoken to us by a Son" (Heb 1:2);
258   V, 32|          and this Son communicates to us now and always the Father'
259   V, 32|        himself with those who were to receive his communication,
260   V, 32|         spoke from within, that is to say, from out of the press
261   V, 32|            compromise. He adjusted to his people's way of talking
262   V, 32|        people's way of talking and to their patterns of thought.
263   V, 32|         public life crowds flocked to hear him preach and teach (
264   V, 32|            same time referred them to himself, explaining, "I
265   V, 32|            61). For his "food" was to do the will of the Father
266   V, 32|       spoken and done in reference to that.~Often Jesus' teaching
267   V, 32|            communication, pointing to his identity and manifesting
268   V, 32|         and resolute determination to tell them what they needed
269   V, 32|         tell them what they needed to hear, in a way that would
270   V, 32|    manipulation. He invited others to open their minds and hearts
271   V, 32|        open their minds and hearts to him, knowing this was how
272   V, 32|            how they would be drawn to him and his Father (e.g.,
273   V, 32|           threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly" (
274   V, 33|           that it may impart grace to those who hear" (Eph 4:25,