Malta gains world-wide media attention
It’s not very often that Malta gets attention from the International Media. At first glance, the Iceland, which became a part of the EU in 2004, looks too small to be relevant to the rest of the world. Daphne Caruana Galizia on October 16, 2017, Malta’s popularity in the news skyrocketed. Galizia, who was heavily involved in Maltese politics, filed a police report stating that she was being threatened. She was blown up in a car two weeks later. Her body (or the parts that could be found anyway) was not buried till November.
After this incident, editors-in-chiefs of the press from the world over to the European Commission, requesting the regulations on its freedom of press. The answer to the European Commission was clear: Malta would have been close to the United States.
However, Joseph Muscat, prime minister of Malta, had made this clear from the get-go. Criminal misconduct of this degree would not be tolerated in his country. He pledged to leave no stone unturned in the investigation, and he said, “The case is going on, and the FBI. The freedom of press during this process was not violated.
Freedom of press vs Government
We all know the relationship between the media and government politics is a messy one. Muscat experienced the damage it can cause first hand, when he almost lost his job to accusations of corruption made by the murdered journalist. Galizia, he has put prior strife behind him to make it clear that he wants to take a fierce stand against the murder. Muscat’s words are convincing. He understands what is at stake: The very credibility of his own country.
It is acceptable and often necessary for the media to break down the walls. The prominent force is the freedom of speech, which is the right of every democratic citizen. It is our duty to protect and uphold this right. This will always remain the case. However, this is not the case. It is a very powerful force, in the circumstances both before and after the murder.
Freedom of press is a powerful force
Galizia’s murder was a vile, terrible act. It can not be justified. However, it is unjustifiable for the media to use their stance to defame an entire country, especially considering the complication of the matter and the extent to which Galizia was involved. The murder is inconsistent with the rest of Malta. Therefore, I find it unethical to hold an entire country and its government under suspicion. It is in our best interest to steer clear of the biases that flow out of them.
