Fully awake this day and ready for a full day! The energy came back, thank goodness, and the allure of the amazing opportunity to have dinner with my NPR favorite Sylvia Poggioli made me want to push though the day as quickly as possible.
But first: a revisit to the Vatican and its news and communication operations. We had an amazing time there in 2012. This time was more abbreviated, with presentations by four of its officers, but that is reflective of the major changes here. Pope Francis decreed that the operation needed to be combined to communicate better with the community, and nine divisions have become three. The major divisions are Vatican media, Vatican News and Vatican Radio. So much seemed to be redundant, the staff, and the combined effort had to be more about listening. The operation has between 400 and 500 employees, all who attest their loyalty to Catholicism.
The efforts – 215 live broadcasts each year of all the important events and liturgical celebrations, plus a newspaper, radio shows and broadcasts, active social media efforts, a press office to deal with the media, a Catholic TV network and active website – in 40 languages seems overwhelming. Instagram has taken center stage, but radio has remained very important, something we learned back in 2012. It makes so much sense in African countries, the Middle East and other far reaches of the globe, where internet and computers are not common. The new common thread, though, is mobile communication, which may play an even greater role later.
Alessandro Gigotti had moved over from radio to work on social media, and Charlotte Smeds of Sweden, someone who had mainly been working on photography, is leading the Instagram push.
Greg Burke, who we hadn’t expected to present, managed to come by. He has a varied newspaper and broadcast background, and he shared with the students how he came to Rome. He was first a freelancer for Time then became its correspondent. When Time had financial difficulties, he moved to Fox broadcasting. He first said no to a Vatican press office job in 2012 but when the offer came around a second time he said yes, starting in strategy and is now the director.
His best quote was that as a reporter for TV, his work “was like a sniper – go out on the job, do it well and then go home.” Now being in the press office “is like patrolling Afghanistan. You never know what is coming at you.”
Pope Benedict had the first Twitter account, Alessandro reminded us, and said Pope Francis has both a Twitter and an instagram account. They are evaluating whether he should venture into Facebook.
Charlotte said the hardest part of her job is waiting to publish what she prepares. The pope has to sign off on everything that is written from the information provided to the staff, encyclicals and letters and text-heavy proclamations.
The push is evangelization, both said, and the communication work does and will continue to play an important role.
Students found much to admire and love in our tour of the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica. It defies description, really, and I’ll save my thoughts on this for their blogs. The priceless art, the history behind that largest cathedral in the world – You just have to see it, and I so hope you all do. What resonated with me was hearing the students talk about how awe struck these marvelous places made them: It brought me to tears, made me feel closer to my faith, brought Michelangelo alive for me from all those papers and classes on art and history, and so much more. Please read their blogs.
Finally, time for our dinner! Jan outdid herself this time, arranging for not only Sylvia Poggioli, but also Seth Doane of CBS – long a favorite of mine – and Jordan Foresi of Sky Italia. Amazing to sit beside someone I have listened to for years
We had a marvelous conversation with her about everything, from the fact that our restaurant was in the Roman Jewish quarter to the tragedies she has covered to the serious issues facing Italy without a government. And she lamented what Donald Trump has already done as president and what is to come. In fact that was the day he pulled out of the Iranian nuclear pact. So smart, so intelligent.
We started off slow but warmed to each other quickly, and she really enjoyed the students, particularly Emma Federkeil and the Italian movies she noted that “changed my life.”
Jordan has Pittsburgh connections (mother is from East Liberty), and he was so interesting and engaging at our table, telling us his stories of reporting on Cuba and Italy. Meeting Seth, who I have watched on CBS in the morning shows and my favorite weekly show, “CBS Sunday Morning” was such fun. All were so gracious with our students, interested in what they have done and plan to do.
An amazing meal, an amazing day. We were so bedraggled by the rain that has plagued our stay here. But the genuine warmth of our guests made all the slogging through the rain all day worthwhile and oh so secondary.