Pope warns media over 'sin' of spreading fake news, smearing politicians

Pope Francis talks as he leads the general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican December 7, 2016. REUTERS/Max Rossi

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Media that focus on scandals and spread fake news to smear politicians risk becoming like people who have a morbid fascination with excrement, Pope Francis said in an interview published on Wednesday.

Francis told the Belgian Catholic weekly "Tertio" that spreading disinformation was "probably the greatest damage that the media can do" and using communications for this rather than to educate the public amounted to a sin.