The government has no issue with streaming journalists’ questions on public media stations, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Carmelo Abela remarked. 

“Journalists should have the liberty to ask whatever questions they deem fit without restraint, while the public should have access to their full question and the answers are given,” he explained.

Broadcasting services fall under the remit of Abela’s mixed portfolio.

Abela pointed out that the issue of streaming journalists’ questions only arose after the PN complained about Prime Minister Robert Abela’s political imbalance due to “unforeseen questions” being broadcasted on PBS.

He also rubbished PN leader contender Bernard Grech’s request for a meeting to discuss the Broadcasting Authority’s decision to axe journalists questions from the air during COVID-19 press conferences for the sake of impartiality.

“[Grech’s] expectations for the Broadcasting Authority to meet with him to discuss revoking their decision taken as a constitutional authority and independent body is nothing less than a stunt to better his own personal motives,” he added, questioning whether this will be the style the PN candidate takes should he be elected as leader.

Current PN leader Adrian Delia also flagged the “media blackout” saying that the party would never agree to such a decision in a democracy.

Since the decision, the Broadcasting Authority has come under fire for defending their ban, while the Institute of Maltese Journalists called it “state-sponsored censorship”.

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