AmericanPapist: Not Your Average Catholic!: What Pope Benedict said about Creation at Loreto
Reuters has a real howler with its claim: “Intentionally wearing green vestments, [Pope Benedict] spoke to a vast crowd of mostly young people…” Yes, Pope Benedict intentionally wore green. But green is the proper liturgical color for ordinary time. It’s no more a witness of support for environmentalism than wearing red would be a witness of support for communism!
This is another example of unintentional media bias, which doesn’t make it any less real. First, the reporter is clearly not familiar with the practices of the Catholic Church in regards to liturgical vestments. Second, the report made an assumption without verifying the facts, an assumption likely based off their own personal biases. (“Green must be about the environment!”)
It’s a small, and ultimately meaningless, example of media bias, but think about what these unspoken biases and prejudices can add up to in a more important article.
Hat Tip: Amy Welborn
