In this period of pandemic, we all seek authentic information and communication. But how much does communication, and in particular, journalism, operate in the time of the coronavirus? Has the narrative changed? Is there an improvement in the ethical dimension of the field of communication, with greater attention accorded to the human person and restraint from sensational reporting? These were some of the questions raised at the start of a series of three international webinars recently organized by NetOne, the Focolare’s international network of communicators, in collaboration with Sophia Global Studies, the research and training center of the Movement’s university in Loppiano, Italy.

In these troubled times, communication plays a vital role, as it can spell the difference when lives are at risk. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes that communication expertise is crucial to outbreak control. In its Outbreak Communication Guidelines, the WHO states: “Disease outbreaks are inevitable, and often unpredictable, events. The environment surrounding an outbreak is unique in all of public health. Outbreaks are frequently marked by uncertainty, confusion, and a sense of urgency. Communication, generally through the media, is another feature of the outbreak environment. Unfortunately, examples abound of communication failures which have delayed outbreak control, undermined public trust and compliance, and unnecessarily prolonged economic, social, and political turmoil. (https://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/WHO_CDS_2005_28en.pdf)

We constantly see how lives are saved through the proper handling of information and responsible communication dissemination. A community or a whole nation can be saved from the threat of the virus when communication is properly managed. On the other hand, we also see the damage to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who are falling into the trap of mismanaged communication, the so-called “Info Virus”! COVID-19 will not have the last say in the lives of multitudes, but the “infections” very often caused by “deadly” information going into the newsfeed of different media platforms and consumed by many fragile digital communities. In recent times, we have realized how communication, particularly in social media, has become a power in influencing public opinion, to the point of even sowing instability. Have we moved from the age of information to that of disinformation? How should we information consumers behave in front of such a growing menace?

While all energies and resources across the globe are pooled together to contain the spread of the coronavirus, efforts should also be directed toward containing the “Info Virus.” New City Magazine’s September 2020 issue would like to offer a new perspective about how to process information, that of universal fraternity. As men and women in a time when false news proliferates and influences even the way we relate with one another, we invite our readers to be protagonists in shaping a culture of authentic communication, being guardians of the truth. Through various feature articles on communication and information dissemination, we hope to provide tools for verifying the news so as not to fall victim to the “digital pandemic.”