Times of Malta assistant editor Matthew Xuereb has been appointed president of the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM), while MaltaToday online editor Kurt Sansone has been appointed its secretary general, the IGM said today.

In a brief statement, the IGM said that Xuereb would be replacing Sylvana Debono, while Sansone would be stepping in for Nigel Mifsud. Both Debono and Mifsud have resigned from the IGM as they have moved away from journalism. 

The institute thanked both for their contribution to the IGM and journalism on the whole.  

Both Xuereb and Sansone have a wealth of experience within the industry. Xuereb, 42, has been a journalist for over 20 years, having started off his career at The Malta Independent before moving to the Times of Malta. There he served as a journalist and eventually Head of News before becoming assistant editor of the organisation. 

Sansone, 46, has been a journalist for almost 25 years at various media houses. He currently serves as the editor of MaltaToday’s online portal. 

Both were co-opted and will form part of the council that was elected in an AGM last June. The council’s term ends in 2022. 

In its statement, the IGM said it would continue working on enhancing journalism in Malta, defending journalists’ rights and bolstering ethical principles within the journalism sector. 

“It is an absolute honour and privilege to serve in this role, where I can directly contribute towards giving the profession the protection it deserves, as well as take journalism to the next level,” Xuereb said of his appointment. 

Sansone said that “journalism continues to play an important role in democracy, despite the multiple challenges we face, which is why I accepted to serve on the IGM council from where I  hope to contribute strengthening the profession”.  

High on the agenda, the IGM said, would be a drive to launch a revised code of ethics for the profession as well as explore avenues for continuous professional development for journalists, editors, photojournalists, and videographers. 

In addition to Xuereb and Sansone, the council is composed of vice-president Claire Farrugia, Christine Amaira, Neil Camilleri, Lovin Malta’s own Julian Bonnici, Charles Camenzuli, Domenic Aquilina and Sandro Micallef representing sports journalists. 

What do you make of these new appointments?