Journalists call on Speaker to ensure media access

The Journalists' Committee has called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives to ensure access to the media following "threats" by Investments and IT Minister Austin Gatt during an incident with a Super One news cameraman.

The committee strongly objected to the way Dr Gatt "confronted" the cameraman on Monday evening, saying the minister had threatened the cameramen with arrest.

Committee chairman Karl Schembri said the minister's "aggressive intervention" went beyond his power and it was of grave concern that a government minister resorted to such an attitude with the media.

The committee said the Labour Party television station was refused access to film the House Accounts Committee's session held at the Palace, in Valletta.

Mr Schembri described as "dangerous" the prerogative of both sides of the House to accept or refuse access to individual photographers and cameramen to committee sessions.

"Objective procedures are required to guarantee the right for every section of the media - not least television stations - to have the possibility of filming such parliamentary sessions, which are certainly in the public interest. Parliament and modern democracy have to be open to the scrutiny of the press and the broadcasting media," he said.

He expressed the committee's belief that a public institution like Parliament has to operate on the principle that the audiovisual media is an equally integral sector of the media, like the press, and, therefore, the norm should be open access to photographers and cameramen.

In the case of an objection, this should be justified, based on objective criteria, with the opportunity to appeal such a decision.