Journalists’ institute will seek open dialogue with media lobby

In a long-awaited yet predictable statement to NEWZ, the IĠM stressed it was neither involved in the setting up of the media owners association, nor privy to “the talks that took place”.

Allied Newspapers, MediaToday and Standard Publications announced in the end of 2023 they had formed an Association of Media Owners (AMO) – together with the Nationalist Party, the General Workers’ Union, and the Labour Party.

The council of the journalists’ institute said it believes that a wider membership base of the AMO “would be salutary to the media sector”.

Media houses interested in joining the AMO must meet the groups’ requirement of operating a full-time newsroom of at least seven journalists and three media workers.

However, these very restrictive admission criteria do not seem to apply to some of the media lobby’s founding members.

The IĠM said it represents “all working journalists, from whichever media house”, adding it will continue doing so.

Contrary to popular belief in the media sector, sources said the institute has no members working at Labour’s One and “only a handful of members” from PN’s Net.

“In the best interest of the sector, the IĠM will seek to have an open dialogue with the association of media owners”, the institute’s council said.

Not being involved in Malta’s political microcosm, the international NGO Reporters Without Borders earlier this month questioned the formation of a lobby group between major media and the political parties.

Last week, a number of concerned journalists and media workers, among them AMO members’ employees and IĠM members, came together in a meeting to discuss “the way forward”.

They agree that a media lobby which involves political parties and puts the governing Labour Party on both sides of the negotiating table is damaging to media freedom and democracy.