蜜桃交友

Paul Samasumo – Vatican City.

Jubilee takeaways

The Jubilee for Communicators has recently concluded in the Vatican, and you presented a paper at one of the conferences. What are some of your key takeaways from this jubilee?

The theme of the Jubilee of Communication is deeply rooted in the overall Jubilee message presented by the Holy Father, Pope Francis: “Spes Non Confudit,” meaning “Hope Does Not Disappoint.” As persons in the media, we are called to be pilgrims of hope.  This was a very, very important time for communicators seeking hope themselves. The communication environment has changed entirely over the last -probably 20 years.

Technology is expanding at an exponential rate, resulting in an overwhelming amount of information. We have a lot of information, but people sometimes don’t even know what to read, understand, or believe. This information overload is creating a situation in which people are accessing more information but are becoming less knowledgeable.

Navigating Information responsibly

What advice would you offer to ordinary Catholic families regarding their gadget usage and obtaining accurate information to stay informed?

In my presentation, I spoke about the various “pathologies” of information. Today, we have disinformation, which is the deliberate transmission of incorrect information. We have misinformation when people mindlessly send or forward messages which are not correct. And then we have mal-information, which is hate speech or harassment. There is a lot of that all over the Internet.  In my talk, I discussed all this mainly in the context of East Africa. Unfortunately, all these pathologies happening about political issues, religion, and authority figures are undermining the authority of institutions like Churches and government. In the face of all this, we can advise families, for example, to understand that the Internet is not the same as we knew it some time back. It is not safe for everybody. They should therefore establish safeguards to monitor what their children are access online.

And in terms of the Church, I think there must be some diocesan or parish-level programmes for media and information literacy. In a way, we are already doing this in parishes and schools. I think media literacy is similar to what we do,  when we teach Catechism in the parish or in a school. Perhaps it is how we use the space that we already have in Catechism classes.

Challenge of social media

You mention media and information literacy, especially as you say that social media and the Internet are not what we thought they would be. They are not safe for everyone. Today, we see people posting content to social media meant to make people angry, agitated, divisive messages, and so on—all for the sake of attracting attention and engagement or clout. The monetisation of social media may not be bad in itself, but it is not really helping matters.

You are correct. For most people today, in social media, the value of social media like TikTok accounts depends on the number of followers. These content creators or influencers create content to ensure they have many followers. Consequently, content creators and influencers frequently prioritise popularity over substance.

Moreover, algorithms dictate the kind of information users receive, creating silos or echo chambers that limit diverse perspectives.

Then there is the issue of behaviour. When people are in the digital environment, their characters sometimes change. They are completely different from who they are in the physical environment.

Catholic Content Creators

In your view, what is the role of Catholic content creators on social media?  

Well, in this age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and algorithmic-driven knowledge, Content Creators who are Catholic are not immune to creating content that will also make them popular and which will make them money. There is nothing wrong with this, but I think as Catholic communicators, we really need to think through what is good news. Catholic communicators should focus on sharing good news—messages that inspire hope—and seriously consider how to present such news in today’s information landscape.

Catholic Radio stations in Africa

In Africa, Catholic Radio stations still command good listenership. What do you think is the future of Radio in a digital age that is leaning more and more to social media? 

I think in the traditional sense; Radio is losing its potency. However, if we create a flagship podcast programme, we can still have impact on society. The local Bishop or Parish Priest can, for example, have a weekly Podcast. The Podcast could have catechetical content, pastoral content, that kind of thing. People are now moving towards podcasting. It is something we need to explore. Young people will probably listen to a podcast than a radio programme. There is no reason why the Church cannot use Radio to broadcast hard news and podcasts for more nuanced content based on opinion.

Catholic Communicators and challenges

Lastly, as we reflect on this Jubilee Year, what message would you like to convey to Catholic Communicators out there?

We should not lose hope. Communication has always been a challenge in the Church and in the world. When Gutenberg invented the printing press, people were apprehensive.  How is this going to impact the Church, they asked? But it became something positive. The same fears arose with cinema, radio, television, and now, the internet and Artificial Intelligence. We must take this as a moment of grace. We must never stop praying for the world, but we also need to learn how to use Artificial Intelligence to promote the Gospel, today. 

Thank you, Bishop Mfumbusa, for your time and insights.

Thank you very much, Paul. Asante Sana.