Tumas Fenech foundation celebrates fifth anniversary

On February 5 the Tumas Fenech Foundation for the Education of Journalists (FTFEG) celebrated its fifth anniversary with its now customary certificate award ceremony at the Portomaso Suite of Hilton Malta.

Following a musical introduction by the Trio Promuzika, the foundation's administrator, Mario Schiavone, gave a detailed rundown of the foundation's five-year record.

"The foundation was set up on the initiative of The Malta Press Club (today the Institute of Maltese Journalists - IGM) to be a living memorial to the late Tumas Fenech and is financed by the Tumas Group," Mr Schiavone said.

In the past five years the FTFEG has organised 13 courses attracting 177 persons of whom over 120 earn their living from journalism. There were also a number of seminars, public conferences and similar activities.

Despite two events that kept journalists fully occupied for months in a row last year, the foundation's work continued unabated, although some courses were postponed to this year.

A well attended seminar on the Data Protection Act was of particular interest to journalists. After the seminar, along with the IGM, the FTFEG asked for the reaction of a number of publishing houses and radio and TV stations, and prepared a document submitted to the Commissioner for Data Protection for his consideration in drawing up a Code of Practice for Journalists in the light of this Act.

Last November, following a request from a number of interested persons, an "Introduction to Journalism" course was held in Gozo. Spread over a week, 11 persons attended from Gozo and one person from Malta.

The course was well received and the participants asked the foundation to consider holding other courses in Gozo.

"Educating and Protecting the Consumer of Financial Services", organised in conjunction with the Malta Financial Services Authority, attracted 37 participants.

Apart from local speakers, the Principal Ombudsman of the UK Banking Services and the personal finance editor of The Daily Telegraph were also invited to give their views.

One of the courses which the FTFEG organised in 2003 with the collaboration of the British High Commission in Malta, on broadcast journalism, was led by two British experts. After the course, one of them, Steve Harris, prepared a report for the foundation on Broadcast Journalism in Malta.

The FTFEG circulated this report among the local radio and TV stations, as well as to the Broadcasting Authority. It also met representatives of these stations and continued to examine how it could help to improve the level of broadcast journalism. It intends to continue working in this field.

The FTFEG's chairman, President Emeritus Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, and the vice-chairman Lino Spiteri have met the authorities of the University of Malta to explore the possibility of further collaboration to improve the standard of Maltese journalism. The foundation has no intention of duplicating the efforts of the University but to be complementary.

Among the courses planned for this year is one on Sports Journalism next month in collaboration with the Ghaqda Kittieba Sports. A series of courses on "Reporting the European Union" will be held later this year and the foundation's Board of Studies, which has been strengthened with some new members, is working on proposals for the trustees' consideration.

"The foundation is offering a service in an essential area of our country's democracy," Mr Schiavone said. "Those of you, who like us, love journalism, know that there is still a lot to do to reach the levels of journalism to which we aspire.

"So, I appeal to media owners, the journalists themselves and those who aspire to enter this field to take part in the foundation's activities."

He then thanked all the foundation's partners, singling out the MFSA, led by Professor Joe Bannister, the IGM, the Fenech family, notably Ms Carmen Fenech, managing director of the Halland Hotel, and her staff, where many of the courses are held, the management of L-Imgarr Hotel in Gozo, the Tumas Group itself and the foundation's trustees for their contribution.

Two keynote addresses were made by Dr Stephen Calleya on "The Euro-Med Dialogue and the Media Input" and by Ambassador George Saliba on "The Media in the Middle East", with President Emeritus Dr Mifsud Bonnici making the concluding remarks.

The foundation also held a press conference last month to mark the fifth anniversary of the FTFEG.