The Archbishop of Benin City, Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze, has urged the media to defend the truth and promote human dignity.
Akubeze made the call during a special mass on Sunday at the Holy Cross Cathedral to mark the 59th World Day of Social Communications.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2025 theme is “Share with gentleness the hope that is in your hear”.
The event at Holy Cross Cathedral was also designated as the Archdiocese’s Jubilee of Social Communications and Media Practitioners.
Akubeze commended media professionals, urging them to “always stand for what is right and live true to the tenets of proper journalism”.
He said, “Your cameras, soundboards, live-streams, and posts are tools for bringing hope to many in our Archdiocese”.
He lauded media houses that “defend the truth, promote the dignity of the human person, and uphold the voices of the poor and voiceless.”
Akubeze emphasised the importance of communicating hope with gentleness, echoing the message of Pope Francis.
He warmly welcomed attendees, including members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Catholic media practitioners, and the Archdiocesan Media Team.
The Archbishop highlighted the dangers of disinformation, aggressiveness in speech, and the loss of human dignity in public discourse, calling on communicators to be “communicators of hope”.
He urged them to counter prevalent news of fear and despair with stories of love and healing. (NAN)
