UPF and WFWP of Italy Co-Host Webinar on the Role of the Media During a Pandemic

Written by WFWP Italy

The webinar was organized by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Italy with the cooperation of WFWP Italy had a great impact. The speakers were: Prof. Marino D'Amore Sociologist of Communication, University Niccolò Cusano, Rome - Dr. Marco Respinti (Journalist, Director of "Bitter Winter") - Dr. Carmen Lasorella (Journalist) - Dr. Francesco Fravolini (Journalist, member of the board of ENTD Ente Nazionale from the Trasformazione Digitale e l'Innovazione). The Moderator of the meeting was Dr. Fabrizio Annaro (Journalist Director of "IL DIALOGO DI MONZA ").  

Hundreds of people watched via Zoom and through the UPF and WFWP FB pages and through ECO DEI PALAZZI an institutional web page.

Elisabetta Nistri, President WFWP Italy, introduced the topic by stressing the important role media had during the lockdown, when they were not able to go out from their homes and received all information from TG News. At the beginning they liked hearing about how people were on the terraces, city by city- trying to inspire that “EVERYTHING WILL GO WELL.”

However, the reports would turn into day-by-day war bulletins about how many people were dead, how many were infected, and so on…. At this point many people turned off the television because it was too depressing. Viewers only saw suffering and the perception that there was no hope. Then Elisabetta Nistri asked to the journalists if it would be possible to shift the attention from the problem to the eventual solution, and to report more on the many virtuous and solidarity examples that have been successful.

All the speakers gave a very deep analysis of the situation, denouncing that the journalism lost a very good opportunity during the pandemic and most of them realized the value of Dr. Sun Myung Moon’s quote: “The pen can kill more then a sword”. All of them agreed that journalism should be more free to tell the truth, but to also share more about those who are trying to create positive change within the community.