Harm or good?

The Maltese population has recently been exposed to the marketing scheme of Tista Tkun Int! over the radio waves, with people being asked to express their opinion on the programme.

I believe that this is an excellent way of feeding more gossip into the mouths of the gossip-hungry Maltese who are always ready to get to know the private affairs of others, and naturally, blow things way out of proportion. It is quite well known that most people, and not just the Maltese, are so bored with their own lives that they find it entertaining to hear and talk about other people's problems, making them feel happy about the own lives!

I don't think that a mother's loss of a child can be replaced by being invited onto the programme, asked what it felt like to lose a child and then whisked away on holiday or to some local hotel for a weekend break. We always argue that rape victims and children who were abused should not have to recount their experiences in a courtroom, but then, there we are encouraging it on national television.

I do not think it is healthy to have to recount how your child died, or how you felt about the fact that you were adopted, or how a parent feels about having a terminally ill child... especially when you have to do it on national television. Is there no code of professional ethics that applies to television programmes, and the type of questions that are asked?

People should be aware of the side effects of the programme and all the heartache that results because of vicious tongues, and the trauma that these people go through. These effects cannot be healed by a TV programme, especially after it may have been its very cause.