{"id":3959,"date":"2020-09-02T13:16:42","date_gmt":"2020-09-02T11:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/?post_type=article&p=3959"},"modified":"2020-09-02T13:16:42","modified_gmt":"2020-09-02T11:16:42","slug":"direttiva-stramba-li-dghajfet-il-liberta-tal-espressjoni","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/article\/direttiva-stramba-li-dghajfet-il-liberta-tal-espressjoni\/","title":{"rendered":"A bizarre directive that undermined the freedom of expression"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Freedom of expression and free flow of information are cornerstones of public debate and democracy. Being the watchdogs of these freedoms, journalists are crucial to the very functioning of our societies.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, freedom of expression\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0facing major challenges today. In many countries, journalists and other media actors are facing threats such as censorship, political and economic pressure,\u00a0<\/span>intimidation<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0job insecurity<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In<\/span>\u00a0Malta,\u00a0<\/span>this<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>not<\/span>\u00a0an\u00a0<\/span>exception<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>witnessed<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>classic<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>episode<\/span>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span>censorship<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>whereby<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0Broadcasting Authority\u00a0<\/span>issu<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>directive<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>national<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>broadcaster<\/span>, PBS,\u00a0<\/span>instructing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>it<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>broadcast<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>any<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>questions<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>from<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>journalists<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>during<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>government<\/span>\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0<\/span>press<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>conference<\/span>. The\u00a0<\/span>reason<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>was<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>brought<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>forward<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>was<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>ensure<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>impartiality<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>on<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>public<\/span>\u00a0Broadcasting.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0Broadcasting Authority\u00a0<\/span>truly<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>wants<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>national<\/span>\u00a0Broadcasting\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>be<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>impartial<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>balanced<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>it<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>should<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>see<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>why<\/span>\u00a0PBS\u00a0<\/span>news<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>often<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>chooses<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>report<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>on<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>government<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>scandals<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Instead<\/span>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span>addressing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>issues<\/span>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span>impartiality<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>balance<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0Broadcasting Authority\u00a0<\/span>issued<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>directive<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>has<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>only<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>served<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>bring<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>freedom<\/span>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span>expression<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0Malta\u00a0<\/span>further<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>down<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>into<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>abyss<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>No<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>wonder<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>are<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>doing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>so<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>badly<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>press<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>freedom<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>index<\/span>!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A<\/span>n o<\/span>ffence<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>like<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>committed\u00a0<\/span>by<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0Broadcasting Authority\u00a0<\/span>indeed<\/span>\u00a0fuels recidivism and has a chilling effect on media freedom.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover<\/span>, o<\/span>n the basis of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights\u2019 case law,\u00a0<\/span>Malta\u00a0<\/span>has<\/span>\u00a0obligations to protect journalists.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only must the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>authorities<\/span>\u00a0refrain from intimidating political declarations or judicial practices against media actors,\u00a0<\/span>but they<\/span>\u00a0also have the duty to actively grant them full protection of the law in order to create an enabling environment for their journalistic activities.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Freedom of expression and free flow of information are cornerstones of public debate and democracy. Being the watchdogs of these freedoms, journalists are crucial to the very functioning of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3954,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"spay_email":""},"issuem_issue":[180],"issuem_issue_categories":[9],"issuem_issue_tags":[],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"2.8.8","language":"en","enabled_languages":["mt","en"],"languages":{"mt":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/3959"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3959"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/3959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3961,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/3959\/revisions\/3961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue?post=3959"},{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue_categories?post=3959"},{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/weekly.uhm.org.mt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue_tags?post=3959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}