Journalists get together to insist on press freedom

A new organisation, the Journalists' Committee, which pledges to fight for journalists' rights and defend press freedoms, has just been formed with 36 members hailing from the majority of Maltese media organisations.

The committee is made up of working journalists, editors, freelance writers and opinion makers who share the democratic ideals of the free press. They are pledging to campaign for a Freedom of Information Act, a Whistleblower Act, an overhaul of the Press Act and libel laws. They also plan to hold a national seminar on Freedom of Information this year.

With its 36 members, the committee says it represents a substantial section of the Maltese press corps. On a day-to-day basis, the committee will monitor statements by public figures concerning journalism and freedom of the press and about its members, new laws, regulations and decisions by government and public institutions that are of relevance to journalism, pending libel cases, court decisions and judgments.

In a message to mark World Press Freedom Day which is celebrated today around the world, the committee said it wanted to join thousands of colleagues worldwide in honouring the sacrifices made for freedom of the press, and in reminding governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The theme proposed for this year by the World Association of Newspapers is Don't Lock Up Information: Stop Jailing Journalists. A total of 58 journalists were murdered last year and more than 500 were arrested.

"Beyond this symbolic day, we intend to take this seriously," committee spokesman Massimo Farrugia said. "While incarceration of journalists and editors in Malta is luckily a thing of the past, the present libel laws, lack of freedom of information, and arbitrary access to information of public relevance remain among the serious issues we face everyday in our duty to inform the public."

The committee expresses its solidarity with the victims of arson attacks, targeted because of their work with immigrants and for taking a public stand for tolerance and diversity.

"These cowardly attacks are also attacks on the right to freedom of expression," Farrugia said. "It is shocking that the hatred towards people of diverse cultures has now extended to the violent intolerance towards different opinions."