Pope Francis Pope FrancisNuns criticize Catholic group for giving Barr award for 'Christlike behavior' Pope seeks to prevent Mafia from using Virgin Mary imagery Pope: No one should seek to profit from pandemic MORE on Saturday warned against the dangers of disinformation and underscored what he called "an urgent need for reliable information" from the news media.

"There is an urgent need for reliable information, with verified data and news, which does not aim to amaze and excite, but rather to make readers develop a healthy critical sense, enabling them to ask themselves appropriate questions and reach justified conclusions," the pope said to a gathering of journalists at the Vatican.

"There is an urgent need for news communicated with serenity, precision and completeness, with a calm language, so as to favor a fruitful reflection; carefully weighted and clear words, which reject the inflation of allusive, strident and ambiguous speech," he said.

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In his speech to the Italian Periodical Press Union and the Italian Federation of Catholic Weeklies, Francis also warned journalists not to fall into what he called the "sins of communication."

"We must not fall prey to the 'sins of communication': disinformation — that is, giving just one side of the argument — slander, which is sensationalistic, or defamation, looking for outdated and old things, and bringing them to light today," he said. "They are very grave sins, which damage the heart of the journalist and harm people."