د . إAEDSRر . س

Lessons Learnt After Plunging Into Malta’s General Election As A Newbie Journalist

Article Featured Image

My first steps within the field of journalism began with a rather profound bang after I was plunged into Malta’s notorious election campaign.

I’ll be honest. I was more than a little apprehensive about the prospect of doorstepping politicians I was only used to seeing on TV. And I’ll never forget the way my heart thumped as I sat across the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader for the first time, ready to ask questions with the scope of finding a story.

As the days went by, this feeling waned. It was not merely the result of ‘getting used to it’, but rather, it was replaced by the feeling of being a small fry in a rigged game.

The exposure to Malta’s infamous electoral season brought with it a series of interesting thoughts, and I’ve highlighted them all below.

1. The game of questions

Politicians have mastered the intricate art of answering the question. You see, the act of asking questions of persons in press conferences and the like, does not work in the same way as a conversation. You cannot argue a case, all you can do is pitch a question and hope that you receive an answer to that question.

More often than not, I would be graced with a non-answer sugarcoated in a way that puts the respective party in glorious light.

Questions would be asked via microphone. And it would be swiftly taken away once that question has reached its conclusion, revoking my only chance of a rebuttal.

Politicians played this game to their strengths. Opposition Leader Bernard Grech, for instance, used the press to highlight his receptivity to transparency and journalism as a whole by taking every available opportunity to approach journalists. He visited newsrooms and attended debates; any opportunity to be seen beside a journalist was welcomed with open arms.

Though to what end? As much as it looked good, how many answers were ultimately contorted into a somewhat rehearsed, condensed reply that found its way out of the hard answers and into the party’s intentions and proposals.

Answers were never concrete. Rather, they came in the form of abstract dialogue that focused on all the beautiful things the party’s done in the past, the shortcomings of the opposing party, and promises of good to come.

2. A Prime Minister who played hide-and-seek

On the other end, we had the Prime Minister, who avoided journalists like the plague.

I was awestruck by the lack of available information that came by way of Malta’s top authority, who, in my opinion at least, should relish the prospect of meeting with the press with open arms.

In normal circumstances, a man who could chew me up and spit me out still chose to isolate himself. Perhaps he acknowledged that a Labour win was certain, or that he couldn’t afford to put himself in precarious situations that could potentially lessen the gap. To date, I’ll never know for sure.

Information on anything put forward by the man leading the country only came by way of channels he deemed acceptable, and often-a-time, they were far from neutral.

3. Poor engagement from an otherwise lackluster campaign

The election yielded the lowest voting turnout in 60 years. Perhaps a culmination of many elements together. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine undoubtedly played a role in defining people’s engagement on a personal level.

Though one could also say that there definitely weren’t the fireworks seen during the 2017 campaign where PN Leader Simon Busuttil opposed then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

While Abela campaigned on the basis of his handling of Malta’s problems over the past two years (the pandemic, the economy, and the war in the east), Grech squeezed out as many innovative proposals as the party could muster with hopes of attracting, fundamentally, Malta’s youth. All this whilst vowing that the PN was a renewed party well past the era that saw their downfall in 2013.

The response to all the above was a staggering 14,473 votes left gathering dust at the Electoral Commission’s offices, a significant proportion of Maltese otherwise alluding that they have all but given hope on their options, as far as country leadership goes.

4. The way partisan supporters distort online polls with biased reviews

The job of a good journalist should be that of the impartial delivery of news. However, online trolls do their best to distort the debate in favour of their party.

Online political content, particularly by way of polls plays a significant role in how people consume news, potentially shaping their vote when the time comes.

The downside comes with the lack of filter in the endless spectrum of voices brought forth to the call of an online political discussion.

The platforms offered with the notion of doing a world of good in terms of passing along information in a structured, clear, and transparent manner, were in turn manipulated into an ideological echo chamber which all but diminished the space for constructive public dialogue.

5. From partisan supporters to partisan news

Political parties are also aided by well-oiled propaganda machines that stretch across all forms of media, whether that’s TV, print, radio, or online.

The propaganda born from the respective sources, one could argue, is the single most divisive element barring the layman from making an informed decision on a neutral platform.

How could persons be made to choose the best way forward when they are flooded with a never ending stream of propaganda?

In February of 2021, the issue moved Lovin Malta to file a historic court case to determine whether propaganda on political party TV stations should be declared unconstitutional. A sentiment shared by numerous high-profile politicians including the likes of former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and former President George Abela.

6. Political rallies show that PN and PL policy is practically the same

Up until 20th February, I hadn’t attended a single political rally for as long as I lived. From that date onwards, I found myself following interviews, rallies, debates, and independent analyses at least twice a day, if not more.

Focusing on the PN campaign trail gave me a chance to see how the party evolved throughout the four weeks.

The party hit the ground running, from their foremost announcement of an ambitious €1 billion investment towards ten new economic sectors. It was big, attractive, and it set the pace for the rest of the weeks of the PN’s campaign.

Though as the days went by, it was all repetition, repetition, repetition, with minor alterations here and there based on the feedback the party received from their respective supporters.

And on the occasion where I would be tasked with following the PL, I was not surprised to see that it was simply more of the same. Such, that the ‘news point’ of the rallies eventually evolved into quirky occurrences or nuances born of the occasion.

Instead of focusing on the party’s proposals, which just weren’t generating interest – because people evidently did not care about this – journalists ended up focusing on ‘one off’ incidents, like an odd tit-for-tat shot from one politician to another which garnered a better public reaction.

7. The Day of ‘Silence’

The Day of Silence is often known as the ‘Day of Reflection’ and supposedly offers a full 24 hours of repose from anything that may in some way influence an individual’s voting intentions ahead of the election.

Still, political ads kept on running right up until the vote with the authorities taking little to no action to curb the rule-breaking. As even the Electoral Commission chief said, the Day of Silence no longer makes sense in today’s social media age.

It’s time to revisit the outdated concept and hopefully, the Labour Party’s proposed electoral reform will address it.

8. The Counting Hall and the victory rally

Getting to the counting hall as a newbie journalist was definitely the highlight of the whole process.

The day began calmly, as I sat beside my colleagues in the media room scouring for reactions  – particularly from the incumbent politicians looking to retain their seats in government.

Come 11.30am, the place exploded after news of Labour’s landslide victory and in the blink of an eye, I found myself at a victory rally in Ħamrun.

Being in the area provided an opportunity for me to pick the brains of a few attendees, to see what it was, in their view at least, that made the Labour Party so successful in this campaign. But I was disappointed once again, having received answers such as “now I’ll be able to help my family,” or “the party promoted more unity,” or quite simply, “I’m just here to have a good time.

To this end, I suppose it could be said that my induction into Malta’s electoral campaign served as a means to learn something about the ins and outs of what makes our political party’s tick. Somewhat, at least.

On the other hand, it was a humbling experience that exposed me to the real problems in modern politics, and how nuanced the concept of democracy can be.

In the end, one must understand that the game is simply rigged by an intricate network of persons who have developed some fine skills. And believe me, they will play to every strength so long as power is up for grabs.

What are your thoughts on this year’s election campaign?

READ NEXT: Leo Messi Pens Three Year Partnership With Malta-Based Blockchain Company Socios

You may also love

View All