The Maltese government will be providing financial assistance to newspaper publishers due to a “substantial increase” in the price of paper.

The fund was announced following a meeting held with Prime Minister Robert Abela at Auberge de Castille, where the committee of Malta’s newspaper publishers together with the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IĠM) discussed their situation and concerns.

They said that around 66 journalists work in the print media sector full-time together with several part-timers, and issue 14 different newspapers between them, published daily, weekly, and on Sundays.

The government said that the newspaper is “an integral part of contemporary media” and has a “key role as a strong instrument of democracy”.

In view of this crucial role, the government was “stepping in” and assisting the sector accordingly. A fund of €500,000 has been allocated to support the work of printed journalism that has been impacted by the current extraordinary circumstances, in addition to the major challenges already being experienced by this sector.

The price of paper has increased as a result of a number of factors, including ongoing shipping issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the war in Ukraine.

No similar fund was announced for digital media or other modern variants in journalism.