‘State Needs To Stop Treating Journalists Like Enemies’, PN Warns In Light Of Media Report Delays
The Nationalist Party has stated that the government needs to stop treating journalists like the enemy, in light of delays to publish a media report.
This comes as the IĠM (Institute of Maltese Journalists) is set to publish the report itself if the government does not table it in Parliament later on today.
“Robert Abela’s and Jonathan Attard’s decision to hide the report prepared by the Media Expert Committee for over two months and a half confirms that the government still regards journalists as its enemy and continues to interfere in their editorial direction on every occasion,” the opposition said in a statement earlier today.
“It is not enough for the government to publish a report later today that it has been hiding for many months.”
“It’s the government’s duty to conduct a broad and effective public consultation before continuing with the legislative process before Parliament,” it continued.
Therefore, the Nationalist Party insists that the Government should withdraw the three draft laws currently before Parliament (Drafts Numbers 17, 18, and 19) and instead should proceed to publish a white paper clearly indicating how it will ensure that the media and journalists are truly protected and how everyone will enjoy the right to information.”
The Nationalist Party continued to state how it expects the government and Parliament to remain open to a public consultation at every stage and encourage everyone to participate in the drafting of the laws.
“Therefore, the Nationalist Party agrees with the proposal of the Media Reform Initiative for Parliament to establish a selected committee to hear all those who have an interest in the media sector in our country.”
It concluded its statement by saying that the party will be presenting a motion to establish a committee once the government has published the report prepared by the Media Expert Committee so that Parliament itself can conduct a public consultation as appropriate.
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