Press ethics commission rules for MLP general secretary

The Press Ethics Commission has ruled that some text about Labour Party general secretary Jason Micallef, which appeared in the form of adverts in The Sunday Times and Malta Today, did not conform to correct journalistic ethics.

It disapproved of the editors' behaviour in that the words used hit out at the character of the person concerned in a negative way and held them directly responsible.

However, the PEC expressed appreciation towards the editor of The Sunday Times, Laurence Grech, who admitted that what appeared was an advertisement, thereby effectively dissociating himself from its authorship.

The editor of Malta Today decided he should not collaborate with the commission in its efforts to safeguard journalism ethics, the PEC said.

Mr Micallef had complained to the PEC that in the February 1 editions of the Malta Today and The Sunday Times, in boxes usually used for advertisements, in addition to other wording there appeared the words: "The Malta Labour Party general secretary, Jason Micallef, wants to block the vote of students who were temporarily studying abroad. He wants to annul the vote of workers who have left the island for a short period in order to work or who are following short training programmes. In the future he might turn on to you. He might delve into your personal life to strike you off too".

Although these words appeared in what is usually used as an advertising box, there was no indication they were an advertisement, the PEC said.

The Sunday Times had published a correction in the next edition. However, the PEC noted, this was not given any prominence and it could have easily been missed by the reader.

The PEC had last September rejected a complaint against The Sunday Times by Opposition leader Alfred Sant, a decision which was not circulated to the Press.

In a letter dated September 19, the PEC's secretary, Bjorn Ole Austad, had informed Dr Sant it had examined his complaint against the editor of The Sunday Times after publishing a cartoon by Gorg Mallia on March 16, 2003, in which the cartoonist allegedly ridiculed and incited hatred towards the Labour leader.

The commission informed Dr Sant that "after hearing both parties and discussing the matter, it had concluded that what appeared in the paper could not be considered as destroying your personality or character according to section 9 of the code of ethics. The caricature, if it could be so called, is of a political nature which does nothing except refer to a political idea which does not affect the integrity of your personality and character except from the political aspect.

"The commission would perhaps be going beyond what is necessary by saying it considered that the caricature's (?) features are so crude and unlikely that to be able to associate them with your person one would have to read and follow the political scene, since there is otherwise no indication from what has been published."