Malta down to embarrassing 84th place in press freedom index

Ranking 84th out of the 180 countries assessed by the international organisation, Malta has hit its lowest spot since a new methodology was introduced in 2020.

Within the European Union, only Greece (107th) ranks lower, while the next higher ranking country is Hungary (72nd).

RSF said Hungarian independent media is facing “political, economic, and regulatory pressures” by “press freedom predator” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Greece’s low rank is mainly based on a wiretapping scandal within the National Intelligence Service that spied on several journalist, and Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

Malta’s embarrassing 84th position

“In Malta, journalists have to cope with a highly polarised environment under the strong influence of political parties”, Reporters Without Borders said.

The organisation added that the Maltese government has been reluctant in implementing the comprehensive set of reforms recommended by the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry.

It noted that full justice is yet to be served for the 2017 assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

RSF also mentioned the government’s 40 court challenges against freedom of information requests by The Shift.

This amounted to effectively targeting the media outlet run by Caroline Muscat with a new type of Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), the organisation said.

IĠM: ‘Put your money where your mouth is’

The Institute of Maltese Journalists (IĠM) has called on the government to “tangibly create an environment where journalists and media actors can continue carrying out their duty to serve democracy”.

This statement was issued on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, not in reaction to Malta’s deteriorated ranking in the press freedom index.

Noting “recent statements by Prime Minister Robert Abela that the media is the fourth pillar of democracy”, the IĠM said it expected the government to “put its money where its mouth is”.

It said “it is baffling how the government continues to push back on a recommendation by its own committee of experts to entrench the media in the enforceable parts of the country’s constitution”.

The IĠM’s statement did not particularly point out that the Maltese government has been actively challenging journalists’ attempts to obtain information, even in court.

However, it criticised the “weak” Freedom of Information Act which was “abused” by the authorities, and called for a shift in mentality.

Daphne Caruana Galizia, the slow progress of justice for the assassinated journalist, and the government’s reluctance in implementing recommendations of the public inquiry into her murder were not mentioned at all.