ONE and NET also received the lion’s share of government handouts to media houses in the wake of COVID-19 and have benefited from preferential treatment by being allowed not to publish their audited accounts for over a decade.

On that point, it is worth asking whether the Association of Media Owners carried out any due diligence on these two companies before accepting them into their lobby group.

Clearly, the government and ONE view each other as an extension of themselves, so why is ONE even joining this new media lobby group? And if ONE and NET are on the same page, why are they lobbying at all rather than pushing the legislation they’re after through their MPs in Parliament?

My theory is that PL wants to formalise this incestuous relationship and is using the other media houses as a shield to legitimise the fact that it is using public money to fund itself.

“Why is it such a problem?” they’ll tell critics. “See, we’re funding other media houses too. We’re even funding the PN!”

The inclusion of NET will also dilute political controversy as PN activists who criticise the arrangement will also have to criticise their own party.

And the PN returns to government, they will deflect any criticism by pointing out that they didn’t even pass the law themselves.

The other media houses involved in the Association of Media Owners might think it is a strategic advantage to have the parties on their side when lobbying for public funds.

After all, politicians will be more likely to look fondly on financial proposals that directly benefit an organisation that exists to promote their political careers.

However, that would be a very short-sighted approach.

This new association means media houses will be in the room with PL and PN as they discuss strategies on how to approach the government, Opposition and other key players. Where do you think the loyalties of the party media will stand?

What if a proposal is aired that will help independent media houses but may not necessarily be in the interests of the PL or PN? Where do you think ONE and NET will stand? For that matter, where will Union Print stand?

Media owners will negotiate with the government with the government and the Opposition also sitting at their side of the table. How will that work out exactly?

It’s a bizarre situation.

PL and PN are already the only two European political parties to own a media house and this move screams of a power grab at a time when a wide range of media viewing options, both locally and overseas, means most people aren’t tuning in to either ONE or NET.

An organisation acting like an independent media house while actually owned by a political party? Whatever happened to the Fourth Estate being a separate branch of power?

On that point, were the newsrooms on board with this decision by their owners? It wasn’t given much prominence by any of the media houses involved and The Times didn’t publish anything until a day later.

The need for more consolidation and unity between media houses, both legacy and newer ones, is a valid shout. But this one has the potential to do more harm than good.

What is your view on this new media lobby group?