Malta Women’s Lobby Raises Concerns About PBS Platform For Ricky Caruana
The Malta Women’s Lobby (MWL) has criticised the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) for giving a media platform to Ricky Caruana, alleging that he has expressed misogynistic views on social media and lacks professional training in journalism.
“This is why the Malta Women’s Lobby (MWL) is dismayed to note that Mr Ricky Caruana, who appears to have no credentials or training in media or journalism, has been gifted a public service media platform while he persists in sharing false, mediaeval, and blatantly misogynistic opinions on social media platforms,” wrote MWL in a statement.
The group went on to say that the PBS has a responsibility to inform, educate and reflect the diversity of society rather than cater to populist or partisan interests. According to the MWL, this responsibility includes upholding fairness, factual integrity, and respect for human rights, including women’s rights.
The group questioned how public funds were being allocated, saying it was “concerning” that a person who “ridicules women’s contributions to society, dismisses feminist achievements, promotes gender segregation in the workplace, and trivialises reports of sexual harassment” had been given airtime on the national broadcaster.
MWL argued that having controversial opinions should not automatically entitle individuals to airtime on public media, particularly when such opinions are “derogatory towards half the population.” It called on PBS to uphold its duty to promote equality and protect against discrimination, warning that public media “should act as a counterweight to social division, not a megaphone for it.”
The organisation also addressed anticipated defences of the decision based on free speech or impartiality. It said that “free speech does not mean all viewpoints are equally well-informed, and impartiality does not entail contrasting prejudice with knowledge.”
According to the MWL, public institutions must be able to distinguish between legitimate debate and the propagation of misogyny. The group said that accountability in public broadcasting “requires editorial courage and the willingness to say that some views are not just disagreeable but indefensible in a democratic society committed to equality.”
The statement concluded with a call for PBS to urgently review its decision-making processes, adding: “As women, we should not have to finance our own demeaning through public funds. Public service media belongs to everyone, and its platforms must reflect that shared humanity, not erode it.”
What do you make of the group’s statements?
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