Today on the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia at the memorial site in Valletta ADPD – The Green Party’s Deputy Secretary General Sandra Gauci said that the gruesome murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia by people allegedly close to politics meant that our country ended up in the spotlight. “Four years after this tragedy, journalists are still being threatened, some try to undermine their credibility and try to bribe or threaten them into silence. Instead of learning from this tragedy and becoming a more democratic society, we have become a country which is more tribal, seeing others who criticise the way things are done here as ‘jealous’, instead of striving to improve society and our media landscape. We are in a situation which is as ridiculous as it is petty. “

“This is all the result of years and years of never ending tribal propaganda on the PLPN stations, as well as on national broadcasting. We all know that public broadcasting, politically run by a minister, is always an extension of the governing party’s propaganda machine, with party activists becoming ‘broadcasters’ or administrators at the state’s broadcasting company. We need to discuss in detail a new model of how state broadcasting is run and how it can give space to the various voices in society. We also need to discuss funding of investigative journalism.”

“The recent news that current affairs programs need to be approved two weeks in advance is nothing more than a blatant attempt to stifle information and discussion on current affairs. Investigative journalism should be strongly encouraged and not thwarted.”

Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson of  ADPD – The Green Party said that on this 4th anniversary of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia it is right that we should appreciate more than ever that robust journalism is essential for a healthy democracy. The public inquiry into the circumstances that lead to the assassination, in fact, has a chapter entitled The value of investigative journalism in a democratic society  which specifically makes this point. 

For investigative journalism nothing is out-of-bounds. It is indispensable to ensure that political accountability is for real. It is within this context that we consider investigative journalism a foundation of the democratic state.

The investigations which Daphne Caruana Galizia was developing when she was assassinated are still relevant today. Today we know more on these same investigations even as a result of further investigations carried out as a result of her work.

At this point in time much is being stated about impartiality in public broadcasting. Unfortunately public broadcasting’s editorial policies are specifically tailored to support the government of the day. If the PN which has its own TV and radio stations is feeling the pinch one can imagine that we feel its impact much more. The lack of impartiality of public broadcasting is compounded by the political stations which are just propaganda tools for which there should be no room in a modern EU democracy.   

A root and branch reform of public broadcasting is essential. It should not be any longer the political responsibility of a Cabinet Minister but rather it should be administered independently of the government of the day. This similarly applies to the regulator (Broadcasting Authority) which should not be dominated by government appointees.

Various models in different countries exist. Generally it is Parliament which in a responsible manner ensures that public broadcasting serves the national interest and not the government of the day. This can only happen when Parliament is no longer dominated by PLPN but there is space for other views.

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Xandir imparzjali ħieles mill-istazzjonijiet politiċi

Illum fir-raba’ anniversarju tal-assassinju ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia, fuq il-mafkar fil-Belt Valletta, Sandra Gauci, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD -The Green Party qalet li bil-qtil makabru tal-ġurnalista Daphne Caruana Galizia pajjiżna spiċċa taħt il-lenti tad-dinja għax il-fatt li tinqatel ġurnalista b’mod brutali allegatament bl-involviment ta’ nies qrib il-politika bilfors joħloq attenzjoni li stajna ngħaddu mingħajra. “Erbgħa snin minn din it-traġedja, il-ġurnalisti qed jispiccaw mhedda u saħansitra jippruvaw jimminawlhom il-kredibilita` jew ukoll jgħalqulhom ħalqhom. Flok ma tgħallimna min din it-traġedja li nkunu aktar demokratiċi spiċċajna aktar ma nafdawx u bħala pajjiż ningħalqu ġo fina, għax għal xi wħud kulħadd ‘għajjur’. Sitwazzjoni redikola daqs kemm hi meskina.” 

“Dan hu kollu frott tal-propaganda kontinwa li għaddejja fuq l-istazzjonijiet tal-PLPN, kif ukoll fuq il-PBS. Mhux xi ħaġa ġdida li l-istazzjon tal-istat, meta immexxi b’mod politiku minn Ministru, jsir dejjem iktar estensjoni tal-magna propagandistika tal-gvern. Hemm bżonn li jiġi diskuss fid-dettall mudell ġdid kif l-istazzjon tal-istat jitmexxa u jagħti spazju lill-ilħna varji fis-soċjetà. Hemm bżonn ukoll niddiskutu kif ġurnaliżmu investigattiv jista’ jiġi sostnut.”

“L-aħbar irċenti li programmi ta’ ġrajjiet kurrenti jridu jiġu approvati minn gimgħatejn qabel m’hu xejn ħlief attentat sfaċċat biex tinħonoq l-informazzjoni u d-diskussjoni fuq it-temi kurrenti. Il-ġurnalizmu investigattiv għandu jiġi nkoraġġit mhux maħnuq.”

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo qal li f’dan ir-raba’ anniversarju tal-assassinju ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia huwa xieraq li nirrealizzaw dejjem iktar illi ġurnaliżmu b’saħħtu u li ma jibżax hu essenzjali għal demokrazija b’saħħitha. Ir-rapport tal-inkjesta pubblika dwar iċ-ċirkustanzi li wasslu għal dan l-assassinju f’kapitlu intitolat Il-valur tal-ġurnaliżmu investigattiv f’soċjetà demokratika jagħmel propju dan il-punt. 

Għall-ġurnaliżmu investigattiv xejn mhu sagru. Il-ġurnaliżmu investiġattiv hu għodda indispensabbli biex il-kontabilità tal-politiċi tkun waħda reali. Hu f’dan il-kuntest li nqisu l-ġurnaliżmu bħala pedament ewlieni tal-istat demokratiku. Il-ġurnaliżmu investigattiv jitfa’ d-dawl fl-irkejjen mudlama fejn titkattar il-korruzzjoni. 

Dak li kienet qed tinvestiga Daphne Caruana Galizia meta kienet assassinata għadu sal-lum attwali. Dwar dak li qalet hi, illum nafu iktar anke riżultat ta’ investigazzjonijiet fil-fond istigati mill-kitbiet tagħha. 

Bħalissa qed jingħad ħafna dwar nuqqas ta’ imparzjalità tax-xandir pubbliku. Sfortunatament il-linja editorjali tax-xandir pubbliku kontinwament taġevola ‘l-Gvern tal-ġurnata. Jekk din iħossha l-PN li għandu l-istazzjonijiet tiegħu, aħna li m’għandniex inħossuha ferm iktar. Għax in-nuqqas tal-imparzjalità tax-xandir pubblika hi immultiplikata fl-istazzjonijiet politiċi li huma għodda ta’ propaganda kontinwa li m’għandux ikun hemm post għalihom f’demokrazija moderna fl-Unjoni Ewropea. 

Hemm ħtieġa ta’ riforma mill-qiegħ tax-xandir pubbliku li għandu jwassal biex dan ma jibqax ir-responsabbiltà diretta ta’ Ministru iżda għandu jitmexxa b’mod li jkun indipendenti mill-Gvern tal-ġurnata. Dan jgħodd ukoll għar-regolatur (l-Awtorità tax-Xandir) li m’għandux jibqa’ dominat minn ħatriet li jsiru mill-Gvern.

Jeżistu mudelli differenti f’diversi pajjiżi fejn huwa l-Parlament li b’mod responsabbli jassigura li x-xandir pubbliku jkun ta’ servizz lejn il-pajjiz kollu u mhux lejn il-partit fil-Gvern. Dan jista’ jsir biss meta l-Parlament ma jibqax iddominat mill-PLPN iżda jkun hemm spazju għal ilħna oħra.