Jubilee of Communication: A story is the shortest distance between people
By Kielce Gussie
Ten thousand people – from young adults to high-profile business CEOs – from all over the world are gathered in Rome for one weekend. They’ve traveled many miles - not for a concert or a conference - but for a Jubilee dedicated to communication.
Celebrating communication
Being the first jubilee event of the Holy Year, the Jubilee of the World of Communication kicks off with a penitential liturgy at the Basilica of St. John Lateran on the feast of the patron saint of journalists and writers – St. Francis de Sales.
The three-day event (January 24-26) continues with a pilgrimage to the Holy Door on the morning of January 25, followed by an audience with Pope Francis in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican. The jubilee event ends with the "Sunday of the Word of God" Mass presided over by the Holy Father in St. Peter’s Basilica on January 26.
Starting the Jubilee Year of Hope, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication explains that this hope is not an illusion or something abstract. Rather, he says it is "the drive that moves each of us to believe that the things we tell, through any means – writing, words, images – reach somewhere to build a relationship with those who read, listen, and watch."
Pope Francis often speaks about the importance of good communication and sharing messages of hope. In the past, he has encouraged communication professionals to see their mission as threefold: to make people less lonely, give voice to the voiceless, and educate themselves to communicate truthfully.
Storytelling is fundamental to democracy
At an event to open the Jubilee of the World of Communication in Rome, the Dicastery for Communication brought two well-known personalities and communicators together to bring their insights and ideas: Colum McCann, an author of numerous works and co-founder of Narrative 4 – a global non-profit which uses storytelling to better communities, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, advocate for freedom of expression, and CEO of Rappler, Maria Ressa.
For McCann, the Jubilee of Communication is important because telling stories brings people together. “The shortest distance between any people is a story,” McCann explains, “so our ability to tell our story and our ability to listen to somebody else's story is actually paramount to who we are and how we continue.”
He describes how bringing people from all walks of life and backgrounds to this Jubilee event is a great example of how people do not have to share the same beliefs to share stories. It is “the ability to understand somebody else's story” that is “fundamental to notions of democracy and belonging,” he notes.
Influencers and journalists have a role in communication
Ressa agrees with McCann’s analysis of democracy and communication. She explains the reason she wanted to participate in this jubilee event is that at the center of everything is “to talk to real people in a shared reality with values that we hold dear.”
In an ever-growing technology-driven world, Ressa argues both social media influencers and media professionals have a role to play in being sources of communication. Journalists, she adds, should “operate under standards and ethics”; whereas influencers are good at translation or repackaging information for different audiences.
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