Pope Leo asks media to show suffering of war, not amplify 'propaganda'

VATICAN CITY, March 16 (Reuters) - Pope Leourged journalists on Monday to highlight the suffering caused by war, cautioning against ​news reports that risk sliding into propaganda by ‌glorifying conflicts or serving as “a megaphone” to amplify the voices of those in power.

In a meeting with broadcasters from Italy’s TG2 television ​news programme, the pope made a direct appeal ​for reporters “to show the face of war and tell ⁠it through the eyes of the victims, so as ​not to turn it into a video game.”

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“In the dramatic ​circumstances of war, such as those we are experiencing, information must guard against the risk of turning into propaganda,” said Leo, the ​first U.S. pope.

Journalists must work “in verifying the news so ​as not to become a megaphone of power,” he said.

Leo did not ‌mention ⁠a specific conflict on Monday, but he has been ramping up calls in recent days for an end to the expanding U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

On Sunday, he called for an ​immediate ceasefire to ​what he ⁠called the “atrocious violence” of the conflict, in some of his strongest remarks to date.

Leo’s ​warning against depicting war like a video game ​echoed ⁠remarks from a senior United States church official earlier this month.

Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich sharply rebuked the White House for posting a ⁠video ​on social media featuring footage from ​the Iran war, spliced with scenes from video games and action films. Cupich ​called the video “sickening”.

Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Pooja Desai

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