5612(V)_Come and See: Sharing first-hand stories
World, 16 May 2021 -- The Sunday before Pentecost is the day the Church celebrates World Communication Day. What follows is a brief summary of Pope Francis' message for the 55th WCD. For the full text go to the Vatican website link.
The Gospels as news stories
“Come and see” were the first words that Jesus spoke to the disciples who were curious about him following his baptism in the Jordan river (John 1:39). He invited them to enter into a relationship with him. John tells us – Philip told Nathaniel about his encounter with the Messiah. His friend is skeptical and asks: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip does not try to win him over with good reasons, but simply tells him: “Come and see” (cf. vv. 45-46). Nathaniel did go and see, and from that moment his life was changed. The Samaritan woman is another example. That is how Christian faith begins, and how it is communicated: as direct knowledge, born of experience, and not of hearsay. “Come and see” is the simplest method to get to know a situation. We need to encounter, to let the person speak, to get his or her honest testimony.
Thanks to the courage of many journalists
We owe a word of gratitude for the courage and commitment of all those professionals – journalists, camera operators, editors, directors – who often risk their lives in carrying out their work. Thanks to their efforts, we now know, for example, about the hardships endured by persecuted minorities in various parts of the world, numerous cases of oppression and injustice inflicted on the poor and on the environment, and many wars that otherwise would be overlooked.
Opportunities and hidden dangers on the web
The internet, with its countless social media expressions, can increase the capacity for reporting and sharing, with many more eyes on the world and a constant flood of images and testimonies.
Communicating by Encountering People as They Are
“Come and See”, serves as an inspiration for all communication that strives to be clear and honest, in the press, on the internet, in the Church’s daily preaching and in political or social communication.
“Hitting the streets”
... All of us are responsible for the communications we make, for the information we share, for the control that we can exert over fake news by exposing it. All of us are to be witnesses of the truth: to go, to see and to share.
Nothing replaces seeing things at first hand
In communications, nothing can ever completely replace seeing things in person. Some things can only be learned through first-hand experience. We do not communicate merely with words, but with our eyes, the tone of our voice and our gestures. Jesus’ attractiveness to those who met him depended on the truth of his preaching; yet the effectiveness of what he said was inseparable from how he looked at others, from how he acted towards them, and even from his silence... We are called to communicate by encountering people, where they are and as they are."
For those who like to share 'first-hand stories', here is the standard for news-sending from ANS NEWS:
(ans@infoans.org or direttore@infoans.org).
"If you want to send your news article to ANS (Salesian News Agency) we need you to:
If you need more hunts, please feel free to write to us. Waiting for your news!" (ANS journalist)
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