Editorial

Joseph Muscat, the leader of the Malta Labour Party, has set up a commission asking it to write a code of ethics for the party's media.

Among other things, the commission is tasked with developing a code of ethics that would enable the MLP media to contribute to the enhancement of pluralism and steer away from the tactics of an unbridled partisan attitude. The code should also make the Labour media more accountable, increase their credibility and build a relationship of trust with the readers, listeners and viewers.

One can express different reactions to his move by Dr Muscat. One can take a cynical viewpoint arguing that in his previous incarnation as a journalist, the Labour leader had given his fair share to nurture a party media system that fuelled a partisan attitude.

Besides, the presence of Peppi Azzopardi, described by the Labour leadership and executive (Dr Muscat was a member) in terms that qualify Mr Azzopardi as a grand manipulator, is, to say the least, strange as it is difficult to change a "manipulator" into an ethical teacher!

On the other hand, one can look at the setting up of the commission in glowing light. In this perspective, the setting up of the commission could be seen as another building block of the new political season that Dr Muscat has pledged to usher.

One can however take a radically different view. The setting up of the commission shows the belief that the party media can redeem themselves. In this perspective all one has to do is to lobby the Nationalist Party to set up a similar commission to draft another code of ethics and, hey presto, both media systems would become the beacons of professional journalism and the producers of quality programmes. The setting up of this commission will cure the stations of the political parties from their self-imposed manipulative maladies as much as a mild pain killer would cure a terminally-sick person. The setting up of the commission may be a good tiny step ahead but one cannot be too hopeful that the party broadcasting stations are going to be completely reformed or redeemed.

The party media systems have, over the years, transformed themselves into manipulative and propaganda machines. The last electoral campaign is still fresh enough proof of all this. The party stations passed the point of no return. Before and after the last general election, The Times spoke in no uncertain terms about the negative contribution by the broadcasting stations of the political parties.

Besides, there is so much tripe on the air. Budget constraints have thrown quality out of the window. Several programmes have an abysmal aesthetical and technical level. The so-called news bulletins are mostly comments interspersed with fact and even the facts are usually given a shade of either red or blue.

Perhaps the time has come for the leaders of the political parties to show the country that their parties have matured enough that they realise it is high time to end what should have been nothing more than a transitional measure in the country's political and broadcasting history.

It was encouraging seeing Dr Muscat and the Prime Minister smiling at each other in the PN headquarters. Now it is high time that they take concrete actions together. Shedding off their party media structures should be top of the agenda.