Fourth estate needs strengthening, MP says in reply to minister’s talk of ‘media control’

Nationalist MP Charlò Bonnici took to task foreign minister George Vella in an adjournment speech where he declared that all media had to be accorded "all the liberty necessary for the ultimate good of society".

His speech came in direct response to Vella's claims last week for a degree of media control, after it was revealed that the minister, a doctor, was still seeing some of his patients, in breach of the ministerial code of ethics; as well as reports that he had banned visitors entering with their mobile phones in his own office.

Bonnici tonight made an impassioned plea for a strengthening of the fourth estate, against the abuse of authorities in trying to weaken journalists from probing and asking questions to elected MPs, ministers and other powers that be.

"I accept the Honourable Vella's clarification of his speech, but we cannot - neither in the House nor in the country - ignore any slip of the tongue, Freudian or not, about a subject that is becoming more important to the Maltese people. We ignore it at our risk," Bonnici said.

Bonnici said that while it was Vella's right to express his views, and that the media had to expect criticism of its function, the minister also had to expect scrutiny of his own statements - particularly since his claims came in reaction to media reports that the minister was banning mobile phones inside his ministry or office.

"I understand that the leap from Opposition MP to Cabinet minister where everything one says is scrutinized by everybody is no easy step... it's not easy being criticised during an electoral honeymoon that was preceded by an electoral victory of this scale.

"How can one not criticise a government which has taken controversial, and in some cases anti-constitutional, decisions within its first hours of taking office: the resignation of permanent secretaries, and now ignoring the code of the ethics for the largest Cabinet in our political history, and political appointments that put paid to its 'Malta for all' slogan... Can a government minister really expect to see the media remain silent?"

Bonnici also told MPs that the use of public funds to coerce media outlets by restricting advertising budgets was a practice that had to stop.

"No authority in this country can use its power to gag the media - no government authority run by public funds should use these funds, such as advertising budgets, to either suborn or undermine a newspaper or a TV channel," Bonnici said, referring to a tactic that was employed by the previous government to hive off vital advertising budgets for pro-government news outlets.

"I have spoken in the past about a stronger public broadcaster that can be independent of government. Today I reiterate my wish and dream for a public broadcaster that falls under the stewardship of this parliament and that is run on the same lines as the Ombudsman and the Auditor General," Bonnici said.

But he was equally skeptical that the PBS - whose administration and editorial fall under the direct influence of the home affairs and education ministries - would ever evade direct ministerial control.

"Maybe I'm a voice in the desert but as long as I remain an MP, I intend talking about my dream for a people that needs independent voices which can disseminate news and analysis. We can't let the past stop us: grave mistakes have been made by different administrations, which will repeat themselves unless we mend the structure of public broadcasting."

Bonnici also paid tribute to Maltese media as having had an important role in the past 25 years by exposing criminality, corruption, and the abuse of power and the abuse of vulnerable persons like children. But he also warned against using the media to support hidden agendas that attack people personally.

"It's for this reason that self-regulation is needed... but it is deplorable to ask for stronger libel laws or curb freedom of expression on digital media like blogs or Facebook."

Bonnici also said that MPs should not be protected by parliamentary privilege. "If I believe that what I say here is the truth, that I have concrete facts about what I say, I don't need to hide behind any privilege."