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Pope Leo XIV Urges Global Newswires to Resist 'Post-Truth,' Clickbait and AI Overreach

At a Vatican audience for MINDS International, he framed press freedom as a public good.

Overview

  • In a formal address to roughly 150 participants at MINDS International's 39th conference, he said agencies must serve as a bulwark against lies and manipulation.
  • He reiterated that journalism is a protected right and called for the release of colleagues imprisoned for doing their jobs.
  • Warning that artificial intelligence is reshaping information flows, he urged vigilance over who controls algorithms and cautioned against technology displacing people.
  • He criticized clickbait and unfair competition, urging outlets to balance financial sustainability with accurate, balanced reporting and to "never sell out your authority."
  • He praised frontline reporters in conflict zones, noting that public knowledge of Gaza and Ukraine relies heavily on their eyewitness work.