Pope Francis laid down the gauntlet this week during a visit to the Dicastery for Communication, the Vatican's in-house news operations, asking employees "who reads your work?"

The Holy See's newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, celebrates its 160th anniversary this year, while Vatican Radio marked 90 years on air. But their long-term survival may be in peril as audience numbers dwindle.

"There are a lot of reasons to be worried...but one that touches my heart: How many people listen to the radio? How many people read L'Osservatore Romano?" Pope Francis asked.

The communications division takes up roughly 20% of the Vatican's budget with 43 million euros ($52.5 million) allocated this year alone to fund radio programs, articles and television pieces designed to spread the Catholic faith globally.

Its expenses are equivalent to the combined expenses of the 10 smallest departments at the Holy See.

Work at the newspaper and radio is good and their offices are organized and well appointed, but there looms a "danger" that the finished product does not reach the right audience, the pontiff said.

Vatican journalists must guard against "lethal" functionality that sees them go through the motions of work without accomplishing anything, he warned.

Paolo Ruffini, Dicastry of Communications head, is optimistic the tough love from Francis will help motivate media staff to work harder. They must "let themselves be slapped by reality," he said in an interview with Vatican News.