Consider This from NPR Why covering the Vatican is a really tough reporting assignment
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May 10, 2025 
Sylvia Poggioli, NPR's veteran Rome correspondent with a rich background in European reporting, shares her insights on the intricate world of Vatican journalism. She discusses the challenges of achieving transparency within a secretive institution, using St. Peter's Square as a metaphor. Poggioli contrasts the communication styles of Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, highlighting the evolving dynamics in Vatican media relations. Personal anecdotes reveal the unique hurdles journalists face while navigating the complexities of reporting on such a historic and influential place.
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Vatican's Architecture as Metaphor
- Sylvia Poggioli used the Vatican's Baroque colonnade illusion as a metaphor for its secretive nature.
- She saw the shifting perspectives as symbolic of how the Vatican presents itself opaquely to outsiders.
Challenges of Vatican Press Access
- Poggioli described the Vatican press office as inaccessible, especially for outsiders and women.
- She gained valuable information from less official Vatican workers rather than high-ranking prelates.
Vatican Spokesman Navarro Valls' Role
- Joaquin Navarro Valls controlled the Vatican message tightly as spokesman before the internet era.
- He explained a Swiss Guard murder-suicide by attributing it to psychological turmoil with confidence in the Vatican's investigation.