AMECEA: Communicators in AMECEA Urged to be Wise, Ethical, Not Lazy in the Disinformation Age
Fr. Peter Bwanali a member of the Society of Jesus (SJ)
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
National Communication Coordinators from the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) region have been advised to preserve the value of truth while disseminating information in the current world of technological advancement by being “wise, ethical and not lazy.”
Addressing the participants who gathered at Roussel House Donum Dei, Nairobi, Kenya from 25th to 30th November, Fr. Peter Bwanali a member of the Society of Jesus (SJ), pointed out the increased dissemination of fake news in the society due to the consequence of ‘misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information.’
Being wise when disseminating news is vital, the cleric who lectures Philosophy units at the Copperbelt University in Zambia said and stressed the need for sharing the truth thoughtfully and carefully, considering the potential impact of words on others.
“Fake news destroys your credibility. If your arguments are built on bad information, it will be much more difficult for people to believe you in the future,” Fr. Bwanali warned the communicators and reminded them that disseminating fake news can hurt not only the communicator but also a lot of other people.
On being ethical by adhering to moral principles when communicating honestly, the Malawian priest underscored the value of being truthful while ensuring that honesty aligns with fairness, respect, and a sense of responsibility toward others and society.
“Good actions affect the being of a person positively. When you become a director of communication in the AMECEA region, it is expected that you are an ethical person, one who values truth, one who preserves truth, and one who tells nothing but the truth,” Fr. Bwanali told the participants who also included the Bishop chairmen for communication commissions in the conferences.
He further cautioned communicators to avoid laziness at all costs as this results in a lack of effort in verifying information before sharing it.
“You will never identify fake news as a communicator if you do not want to rock the boat,” Fr. Bwanali said and explained, “As a lazy communicator, it will be within your nature to participate in fake news by being constantly bored, militating against time and work… Such people are busy preserving personal comfort and craving for the next comfort.”
He reflected the act of laziness in line with the Holy scriptures saying, “Faith without works is dead (James 2:26) and “Those who do not work must not eat (2 Thess. 3:10-13). In this way, he underscored, “To identify fake news and to get rid of it, you must be willing to put in the required time of day.”
