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** OPINION
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A new pope with a social media presence
The leader of the Catholic Church has used social media to express his views and conveyed an understanding of the power of the platforms. (Courtesy: NBC News)

The white smoke came on Thursday.

As far as news events go, the naming of a new pope is still pretty rare, and a really big deal when it happens. Consider this: there have been only 10 — well, now 11— popes since 1903. For comparison’s sake, there have been 21 U.S. presidents in that timeframe.

That’s one of the reasons there was so much excitement when we saw the white smoke on Thursday. Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago native, became the first American to be named head of the Catholic Church and chose the papal name of Pope Leo XIV, which is how he’ll be known from now on. It took just over 24 hours for him to be elected by a group of 133 cardinals, the largest conclave ever.

There were hints that the conclave would not go beyond a few days to choose a new pope. That didn’t stop the world — and the media — from turning their attention to the Vatican on Thursday when the white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel, though.

NBC’s Lester Holt painted the scene to viewers:

“We are looking out, you can see the high shot over St. Peter’s Square right now. We can hear the Square being energized right now. The marching band. In a very short time, we would expect we will see the new pope and we will learn the new pope’s name and whatever message he may share at this moment. There’s the balcony on the right side of your screen, where he will make his first appearance soon. We got our first indication, obviously, the smoke, the white smoke pouring out of the chimney we’ve been staring at and then the sound of bells tolling, loudly tolling over the Vatican and throughout the streets of Rome, people taking it as a call to answer. Now filing their way here to witness this historic moment in their church. I say their church or those who are simply curious about the faith and want to be a part of this moment. We tend to always look at popes as peacemakers in a turbulent world. So they obviously are key figures that will be watched around the world as this moment comes
together.”

Pope Leo XIV is the 267th pope in the church’s history. But there is something different about him from most of the popes who came before him: a presence on social media.

Though his posts were rare and mostly retweets or links to stories, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost is occasionally active on social media channels.

The New York Times’ Lisa Lerer wrote ([link removed]) , “While The New York Times could not independently confirm that Cardinal Prevost ran the account himself — or if it was operated by a staff member — the account was connected to a phone number and email address believed to be tied to him. Nearly all the posts, which date to 2011, shared articles, statements and comments made by other church leaders — not by the cardinal himself.”

However, Mediaite’s Isaac Schorr wrote ([link removed]) , “It wouldn’t take Sherlock Holmes to decipher them.” Prevost, through his retweets, has been critical of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

A tweet of his on X that is getting the most attention is a link to a story ([link removed]) published on Feb. 1 in the National Catholic Reporter with the headline: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others.” ([link removed]) Prevost posted the story two days later, on Feb. 3, with the headline intact.

Of course, it didn’t take long after Prevost was named the pope for MAGA-types to have a full-blown meltdown over his various posts that criticize Vance and Trump’s immigration policies.

Lara Loomer, one of Trump’s most vocal supporters, tweeted ([link removed]) , “THIS IS THE NEW POPE! His name is Robert Prevost. He’s the first American Pope. He is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis. Catholics don’t have anything good to look forward to. Just another Marxist puppet in the Vatican.”

Conservative podcaster Megyn Kelly, the former Fox News and then-fired NBC host, tweeted ([link removed]) , “Is it too much to hope that some 20-year-old ran the new pope’s X account and he never looked at it?”

Kyle Mann, editor-in-chief of the conservative Christian news satire website The Babylon Bee, tweeted ([link removed]) , “We may be cooked” — and retweeted a Prevost retweet of someone praying for George Floyd’s family in 2020.

These are just a few of many, so check out Schorr’s story for Mediaite ([link removed]) , where he collected a bunch of MAGA meltdowns.

For the record, not long after the announcement, Trump had welcoming words for the new pope, posting on Truth Social ([link removed]) , “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

And Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, tweeted ([link removed]) , “Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election! I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”

There is an official X account for the pope, one that goes back to 2012 and Pope Benedict XVI. In a 2023 interview with the Vatican News Service ([link removed]) , Prevost said, “Social media can be an important tool to communicate the Gospel message reaching millions of people. We must prepare ourselves to use social media well. I am afraid that sometimes this preparation has been lacking.

“At the same time, the world today, which is constantly changing, presents situations where we really have to think several times before speaking or before writing a message on Twitter, in order to answer or even just to ask questions in a public form, in full view of everyone. Sometimes there is a risk of fuelling divisions and controversy.”

He added, “There is a great responsibility to use social networks, communication, correctly, because it is an opportunity, but it is also a risk. And it can do damage to the communion of the Church. That is why one must be very prudent in the use of these means.”


** The cover
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Here’s the cover of Time and the new pope:


** Lee Enterprises says February cyberattack hurt revenue streams
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For this item, I turn it over to my Poynter colleague, Angela Fu.

Lee Enterprises’ business has taken a hit thanks to a February cyberattack that hindered its operations, company executives said Thursday.

The attack — which Russian cybercrime group Qilin took credit for — took many of Lee’s services offline, affecting its ability to bill clients, pay vendors and add digital subscribers. The attackers stole data and encrypted “critical applications.” As a result, both Lee’s advertising revenue and subscription revenue temporarily stalled.

Still, Lee executives attempted to put a positive spin on the news, noting that digital subscription revenue had grown 17% compared to the same period last year, and total digital revenue had grown 3%.

The broader picture was much bleaker, however. Lee — which owns more than 70 newspapers, including The Buffalo News and the Omaha World-Herald — ended its most recent quarter ([link removed]) with a $12 million loss. Its total revenue fell 6% year-over-year to $137 million. Chief financial officer and vice president Tim Millage acknowledged on an earnings call that the company’s performance during the first half of the fiscal year had trailed expectations.

Lee had to pay $2 million in “restoration costs” due to the attack, Millage said, but he added that many of those costs would be reimbursed by Lee’s insurance carrier.

Lee currently has $453 million in debt stemming from its 2020 acquisition of Berkshire Hathaway’s newspapers. To give Lee some breathing room in the aftermath of the attack, Berkshire waived interest and rent payments for March, April and May, and instead added the amount to Lee’s principal.

Unlike executives at Gannett’s and The New York Times’ most recent earnings calls, Lee’s leadership did not address the ongoing economic uncertainty stemming from President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs plan.

Lee stock closed Thursday at $7.80 a share, down 45% from the beginning of the year.


** Media news, tidbits and interesting links for your weekend review …
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* The Poynter Institute had a community conversation this week about artificial intelligence featuring moderator Aaron Sharockman, Poynter’s vice president for sales and strategic partnerships; Washington Post technology reporter Drew Harwell; Alex Mahadevan, director of MediaWise and a member of Poynter’s faculty; and PolitiFact editor-in-chief Katie Sanders. Poynter’s Amaris Castillo has coverage of the event: “AI is creeping into every space of our lives, experts caution.” ([link removed])
* The Los Angeles Times’ Meg James with “CBS chief George Cheeks pledges to support team amid chaos and Trump threats.” ([link removed])
* The New York Times’ Sam Roberts with “Kenneth Walker Dies at 73; His Journalism Bared Apartheid’s Brutality.” ([link removed])
* Nieman Lab’s Laura Hazard Owen with “Inside a high school newspaper’s fight for editorial independence.” ([link removed])
* Mediaite’s David Gilmour with “Ex-Daily Caller Editor Begs Karoline Leavitt to Stop ‘Bile-Inducing’ Briefings With MAGA Influencers.” ([link removed])
* Jason Anders — a 25-year veteran of The Wall Street Journal, where he was most recently deputy editor-in-chief — has been named a managing editor of The Washington Post’s News Hub. The Post says it’s a “a newly created leadership role tasked with leading and building the publication’s central news desk.” The Post says Anders will report to executive editor Matt Murray, and “lead a team responsible for the daily news agenda, including editing, curating, publishing and presenting content for The Post’s website and app.” Here’s more ([link removed]) from the Post.
* Variety’s Brian Steinberg with “Lester Holt Will Exit NBC’s ‘Nightly,’ but Not News: ‘I Still Had Gas in the Tank.’” ([link removed])
* An inspirational story to close out the week. The Athletic’s Zack Meisel with "Light at the end of the tunnel’: Guardians prospect, pitching through cancer treatment, on verge of majors.” ([link removed])


** More resources for journalists
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* Early-career journalists: Get four weeks of live instruction and individual coaching from seasoned newsroom leaders. Register today ([link removed]) .
* Learn how to master trauma-informed interviewing and craft nuanced stories that portray mental health challenges with accuracy and dignity. Register for our webinar ([link removed]) .
* New manager? Gain the critical skills you need on your path to leadership in journalism, media and technology. Apply now ([link removed]) .
* Learn how to “lead your leaders” in this virtual intensive for journalism managers handling big responsibilities without direct reports. Apply today ([link removed]) .

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
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