Reproducing Media and Information Literacy in the Encyclicals of Pope Francis: A Discursive Strategy Analysis

Reproducing Media and Information Literacy in the Encyclicals of Pope Francis: A Discursive Strategy Analysis

Religion and Social Communication Vol. 24, No. 1 (2026)
ISSN 3057-0883 (Online)

Author

Jomar D. Redubla
University of the Philippines Open University
Email: jomarredubla@gmail.com / jdredubla@up.edu.ph
ORCID: 0009-0007-3221-5486

Abstract

This study investigates how Pope Francis reproduces principles of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in his social encyclicals—Lumen Fidei (2013), Laudato Si’ (2015), and Fratelli Tutti (2020)—through distinct discursive strategies. Drawing on Mumby’s discourse framework and intertextual analysis, the research identifies four primary modes of MIL reproduction: media discernment, dialogic communication, advocacy communication, and media sustainability. Through thematic coding and textual analysis, the study reveals that Pope Francis embeds MIL into theological and pastoral discourse by fostering critical media engagement, promoting inclusive dialogue, advocating for educational initiatives, and encouraging ethical, sustainable media systems. These findings demonstrate how papal teaching can function as a moral and pedagogical resource for navigating the contemporary information environment, particularly in countering misinformation, strengthening community dialogue, and shaping ethical communication. The study contributes to scholarship on religion and social communication by showing how faith-based leadership can influence media literacy discourses.

Keywords

Media and information literacy, Pope Francis, encyclicals, discursive strategies, Catholic communication, religious media education

References

Bawden, David, and Lyn Robinson. “The Dark Side of Information: Overload, Anxiety and Other Paradoxes and Pathologies.” Journal of Information Science 35, no. 2 (2009): 180–191.

Buckingham, David. Media Education: Literacy, Learning and Contemporary Culture. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2003.

Christians, Clifford G., John C. Merrill, and John P. Ferre. Communication Ethics and Universal Values. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1997.

Craig, Robert T. “Communication Theory as a Field.” Communication Theory 9, no. 2 (1999): 119–161.

De Abreu, Belinha S. Media Literacy Education in Action: Theoretical and Pedagogical Perspectives. New York: Routledge, 2014.

Fore, William F. Television and Religion: The Shaping of Faith, Values and Culture. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1987.

Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Translated by Myra Bergman Ramos. New York: Continuum, 2000.

Hobbs, Renee. Digital and Media Literacy: Connecting Culture and Classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2011.

Hulin, Thierry. “Media and Information Literacy in the Age of AI: A Whole-of-Society Approach.” World Economic Forum, 2025. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/10/media-information-literacy-ai/

Livingstone, Sonia. “Media Literacy and the Challenge of New Information and Communication Technologies.” The Communication Review 7, no. 1 (2004): 3–14.

Loffler, David. “The Digital Papacy of Francis.” Journal of Catholic Media Studies 12, no. 1 (2021): 4–22.

McCombs, Maxwell E., and Donald L. Shaw. “The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media.” Public Opinion Quarterly 36, no. 2 (1972): 176–187.

Mihailidis, Paul. Civic Media Literacies: Re-Imagining Human Connection in an Age of Digital Abundance. New York: Routledge, 2018.

Mihailidis, Paul, and Belinha S. De Abreu. “Untangling Media Literacy, Information Literacy, and Digital Literacy.” Journal of Media Literacy Education 14, no. 1 (2022): 1–14. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1344751.pdf

Mumby, Dennis K. “The Problem of Meaning in Organizational Communication.” Communication Monographs 54, no. 1 (1997): 46–47.

Narbona, José María. “Digital Leadership, Twitter and Pope Francis.” The Journal of Social Media in Society 4, no. 1 (2025): 1–15. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23753234.2016.1181307

Pacatte, Rose. Media Mindfulness: Educating Teens about Faith and Media. Winona, MN: Saint Mary’s Press, 2007.

Pope Francis. Lumen Fidei. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013.

______. Laudato Si’. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2015.

______. Fratelli Tutti. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2020.

Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2004.

Soukup, Paul A. “Pope Francis and the Digital World.” Journal of Communication and Religion 39, no. 2 (2016): 42–60.

Tiernan, Peter, et al. “Information and Media Literacy in the Age of AI.” Education Sciences 13, no. 9 (2023): 906. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/9/906

UNESCO. “Media and Information Literacy.” Accessed July 2025. https://www.unesco.org/en/media-information-literacy

Wardle, Claire. “Understanding Information Disorder.” First Draft News, last modified September 22, 2020. https://firstdraftnews.org/long-form-article/understanding-information-disorder/

Wardle, Claire, and Hossein Derakhshan. Information Disorder: Toward an Interdisciplinary Framework for Research and Policy Making. Council of Europe, 2017. https://edoc.coe.int/en/media/7495-information-disorder-toward-an-interdisciplinary-framework-for-research-and-policy-making.html

Wilson, Carolyn, et al. Media and Information Literacy Curriculum for Teachers. Paris: UNESCO, 2011.

Pages: 99–121

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62461/JDR111026

Submitted, Accepted & Published Dates

Submitted: August 15, 2025
Accepted: November 10, 2025
Published: January 1, 2026

Cite this article

Redubla, Jomar D. “Reproducing Media and Information Literacy in the Encyclicals of Pope Francis: A Discursive Strategy Analysis.” Religion and Social Communication 24, no. 1 (2026): 99–121. https://doi.org/10.62461/JDR111026.

Copyright & License

© 2026 The authors. This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).