In a world where news headlines are often as divisive as the events they report, an unlikely gathering unfolded in Rome on September 12, 2025. The third annual World Meeting on Human Fraternity drew together some of the globe’s most influential news executives, all under the watchful eye of Pope Leo XIV. The reason? To confront the growing sense of polarization and partisanship that has come to define much of today’s media landscape, and to pledge a renewed commitment to dignity, humanity, and truth in journalism.
The summit, held at the Vatican, was prompted by Pope Leo XIV’s recent warning that a lack of hope can easily take root when societies “fixate on a certain rigid and closed way of seeing things.” According to Variety, the Pope’s words struck a chord with leaders from the world’s leading news organizations, including Mark Thompson, CEO of CNN; David Rhodes, executive president of Sky News Group; Jay Wallace, president and executive editor of Fox News Channel; Tom Cibrowski, president of CBS News; Joseph Kahn, executive editor of The New York Times; Jerome Fenoglio, director of Le Monde; Graham Ellis, deputy director of BBC Radio; and Maria Ressa, co-founder and CEO of the digital news outlet Rappler.
As the group gathered in Rome, the atmosphere was charged with a sense of urgency. The executives faced a tall order: how to uphold the ideals of fellowship and truth at a time when market forces and technological shifts seem to push newsrooms toward ever-narrower audiences and more polarized coverage. The very definition of journalism, as some of the attendees pointed out, has come under strain.
Tom Cibrowski, president of CBS News, reflected on his own training as a journalist. “The basic definition of journalism — the kind I learned at journalism school in Boston — was ‘Who,’ ‘What’, ‘When,’ ‘Where,’ ‘Why.’ Tell the full story of what happened,” he said during his remarks, as reported by Variety. “Alas, in these very challenging and fractured times, that is not always the case. Today’s media landscape has grown increasingly partisan, with many news organizations evolving into advocacy platforms that cater to and reinforce the beliefs of like-minded audiences. At the same time, we are immersed in a relentless 24-hour news cycle, where there is a constant expectation that people can access and consume real-time coverage at any hour of the day or night.”
That relentless cycle, once the hallmark of television’s golden age, now faces new challenges. With more viewers turning to streaming platforms for their entertainment, news remains one of the few types of programming that can still command a large, real-time audience—something advertisers desperately want. But the rise of new, often partisan, digital outlets and the fragmentation of audiences has made the economics of traditional news harder to sustain, a point raised by CNN’s Mark Thompson. “The age of broadcasting — the age of the serendipitous sower of news and culture and education through free-to-air radio spectrum and other forms of free or cheaply available mass media — is in decline almost everywhere and over time may cease to play a part altogether in the lives of much of humanity,” Thompson warned, according to a prepared statement.
The summit was not just about lamenting the state of the industry. It was also about making concrete commitments. Jay Wallace, president and executive editor of Fox News Channel, spoke about the need for dignity in journalism. “Dignity requires we treat people not as characters or caricatures… but as individuals. We all must remind ourselves, that we cannot reduce their lives to quick clips, or captions,” he said. This call for empathy and respect echoed throughout the meeting, with executives from across the media spectrum pledging to deliver news with compassion, objectivity, and without hidden agendas.
The event also provided a rare opportunity for the executives to meet privately with Pope Leo XIV. Though details of the audience were kept discreet, several participants left the meeting visibly moved and inspired to aim higher in their professional responsibilities. “Truth and facts are essential — but they’re not enough on their own. We must deliver them with compassion and an open mind, with clear eyes that see each story objectively and a determination to report without agenda,” Cibrowski emphasized. “Journalism carries an incredible responsibility, and we must meet that responsibility with seriousness, integrity, and care.”
The timing of the Vatican summit could hardly have been more relevant. Just as the news chiefs were meeting, Comcast, one of the world’s largest media companies, issued a memo to its employees urging them to foster civil dialogue and show respect for differing opinions. The memo followed the company’s decision to cut ties with political analyst Matt Down after he made controversial remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was murdered at a college event. “That coverage was at odds with fostering civil dialogue and being willing to listen to the points of view of those who have differing opinions,” the memo stated, co-signed by Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, president Mike Cavanagh, and Mark Lazarus, the future CEO of MSNBC’s new parent company, Versant. “We should be able to disagree, robustly and passionately, but, ultimately, with respect.”
Such calls for civility are not just a matter of corporate policy—they reflect a growing recognition that journalism’s role in society is at a crossroads. As audiences splinter and trust in the media ebbs and flows, the responsibility to report with accuracy, fairness, and humanity becomes ever more pressing. The executives in Rome acknowledged that the ability for anyone to launch a media outlet has contributed to the fragmentation of the information landscape. Consumers are increasingly drawn to sources that confirm their own beliefs, deepening divides and making it harder to find common ground.
Yet, as the Vatican summit made clear, the solution is not to retreat into echo chambers or abandon the pursuit of truth. Instead, the leaders of the world’s most influential news organizations pledged to elevate their craft—to treat every story and every individual with dignity, to resist the urge to sensationalize or caricature, and to remember that their work carries a weighty responsibility. The stakes are high: in a world grappling with populist movements, environmental crises, and rising violence, the need for trustworthy, compassionate journalism has never been greater.
As the third annual World Meeting on Human Fraternity concluded, the message from Rome was unmistakable. The path forward for journalism is not easy, but it is essential. By embracing ideals of fellowship, truth, and respect—even when market pressures and political winds blow in the opposite direction—news organizations can help restore hope and foster a more inclusive, informed society. For those gathered in the Vatican’s historic halls, the challenge is clear: to live up to the responsibility their profession demands, and to do so with both courage and humanity.