MaltaToday features exclusively in EP report on investigative journalism

MaltaToday's investigative journalism were the sole examples featured in an experts' report for the European Parliament's budgetary control committee that tackled issues of financial control and auditing of EU funds and national taxpayers' money.

MaltaToday's uncovering of an EU media contract to the Nationalist Party, which was subsequently repealed; its exclusive reports in the €3.8 million in direct orders awarded by the Office of the Prime Minister to Group 4 and Mekanika for services on Mater Dei Hospital; and the recent exposure of the way Malta's embassy to the EU in Brussels paid its locally-employed personnel, were the sole examples of investigative journalism from Malta in a report which otherwise insisted that "such journalism was practically non-existent" on the island.

In 2005, MaltaToday revealed that the Nationalist Party had been awarded a major €565,000 contract from the EU to provide a daily press review to the European Commission.

But following the report, the contract was terminated by European Commissioner Margot Wallstrom, due to the ethical questions that such a press review in the hands of a political party raised.

Then in 2008, MaltaToday revealed the spectacular payment of over €2 million in a direct order from the Office of the Prime Minister, then responsible for the construction of Mater Dei Hospital, to Group 4 Services. The company, previously employed by Swedish construction firm Skanska, was allowed to continue providing security services by the government in a direct order. The OPM also proceeded to give G4S the operation of the Mater Dei car park in a deal that would be later criticised by the Auditor General.

The report was followed by revelations of a similar direct order of €1.8 million to Mekanika for maintenance services at Mater Dei, when a maintenance staff-complement of 64 at the former St Luke's Hospital were already conducted the same services for the state. Both reports were later confirmed by the Auditor General in his investigation that confirmed the lack of application of public procurement rules.

The report, 'Deterrence of Fraud with EU Funds through Investigative Journalism in EU-27' also focuses on the political domination of news in both print and audio-visual media and highlights government's control over state media TVM.

"Most notably, the government holds a strong influence over the national broadcaster TVM. This does not make for a friendly environment for independent, critical and in-depth reporting regardless of media ownership," the report says.

"Reporting will often be focused on questioning the opposing party or strengthening the position of the owner's institution."

Radio and television, the report says, are characterized by a large presence of political parties, the state and the church who all own broadcasting outlets. With regard to the TV stations owned by PN and PL, it reports that "each have competing new bulletins that give a diametrically opposed version of political news items."

According to the report, although Nationalist and Labour Party organs enjoy strong readership, they do not outstrip the independent readership of the privately owned, English-language print media.

"Despite a high number of newspaper and weekly magazines, Malta has a relatively small readership," it adds.

According to the report, "investigative reporting, if done at all, focuses on national topics."

It also states that even although internet proliferation of news is high, no investigative stories originate from such medium.

The second part of the report focuses on the lack of a union for journalists and government's failure to fully implement the Freedom of Information Act.

"There is no specialised trade union or professional association for journalists. The Institute for Maltese Journalists (IGM) has never taken the step to form a union; its highlight is organising the annual press awards."

The report points out that according to the 2008 Freedom of Information and the 1974 Press Act, government should provide journalists with information to help them fulfil their tasks.

When the Freedom of Information Act was adopted, the act was highly criticised, even though it was the first binding legal instrument to recognise a general right of access to official documents held by the public authorities.

The report remarks that anyone who has not lived in Malta for more than five years cannot apply for a FOIA disclosure: "Thus, non-Maltese residents, foreign journalists, asylum seekers and other people who have not lived on the island for the more than five years cannot file such requests."

Since the legal clauses that are crucial for the full enactment of the FOIA have not been put into force, at many levels no requests can be submitted or processed. This makes Malta one of only three EU countries not to have a working FOI act.

Libel is still a criminal as well as a civil offence. Defamation is a criminal offence. Malta, the report concludes, has made a free fall on the Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders) from 14th to 58th position.

"This may be attributed to Malta's restriction of freedoms of speech and of the press in certain circumstances. Laws against 'vilification' of or 'giving offense' to the Roman Catholic religion leads to some restrictions on journalists."