A media community with an inquiring mind is a boon to any democracy, especially one, like ours, the component members of which (that’s you and me folks) tend towards accepting things at face value perhaps more than is good for us.

In a spirit, then, of geeing up the media a tad, given that, sometimes, they give the impression that it’s a sight easier to regurgitate press releases and not make that little bit of extra effort that might make a good story better, I have a few pointers towards subjects that might make for an interesting read if an intrepid reporter were to get his or her teeth into them.

For instance, and I’d stress that this list is in no order of importance, shouldn’t the ladies and gentlemen of the press that dentist fellow, the one who - some allege, though I stress this is only an allegation - was involved in an incident in Rabat a couple of weekends ago as to why he thinks we need a law about cyberbullying when it’s pretty clear to anyone who knows any law that the Criminal Code caters for this admirably?

I mean, wouldn’t some enquiries with the learned gent intended to elucidate from him enlightenment as to his real motives in trying to gag the ‘net cast some light on the real reason for his sudden enthusiasm? After all, is it so far removed from the realms of possibility that there is no coincidence in the lad suddenly being the subject himself of a certain degree of scrutiny on the ‘net, although the mainstream media seems to have let the story slide?

Surely our Prime Minister isn’t so petty as to refuse to attend because he doesn’t like the design

And, while on the subject of intrepid individuals, shouldn’t the media examine the comments on the blog run by the Law Commissioner and Constitutional Reformer par Excellence? If you want a good sample of hate-posting, racism and sheer bile, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one and since it is the high-minded Dr Franco Debono himself who moderates the blog, what price cyberbullying prosecutions now?

Switching subjects, as one does when the silly season beats down on us, though not switching themes (the theme being areas for further inquiry by the press) how about the media examining the real reason why the Prime Minister didn’t attend the inauguration of the Piano open-air performance space? Surely he isn’t so petty as to refuse to attend because he doesn’t like the design, so there! Or has there been a bit of a power-play between him and his mini-minister, Josè Herrera, with the latter prevailing?

It would also have been interesting, had some editor been on the ball, to send a photographer to record attendees at the elegant soiree, to see whether the whingers and whiners about lack of roofs and such before the election would stay away.

From the subtext of his extensive ‘last whine’ about the project (last whine? We should be so lucky) it seems that carper-in-chief Kenneth Zammit Tabona actually deigned to toddle along to the opening with the rest of the high society. I wonder if he had any tete-a-tetes with other moaners while there.

A word to the wise incidentally, Zammit Tabona, you don’t want snide remarks about the real reason why your respected ancestors would be so ashamed of you, do you? Next time, don’t set the stage for such remarks, then, in your own column.

Another area ripe for pointed questions is that inhabited by the current chairman of the council of Europe Development Bank, Joseph Licari, whose thinly-veiled remarks about immigration are hardly four-square with those of other worthies on the European stage, to put it mildly.

Should not the former ambassador be asked precisely what he’s getting at when he spouts an apparently (but only apparently) erudite treatise about the law, especially when it is taken in the context of his moderately-peculiar remarks about how certain NGOs have “taken over” the European Court of Human Rights and influenced it in favour of illegal immigrants?

Not to put too fine a point on it, do we have here someone who, up to recently, was allowed to hold a central position in various European institutions on behalf of this country whose views on immigration are very likely to find favour with those who do not put out the welcome mat for immigrants? Who would prefer them to be pushed back, preferably with bayonets, actually?

Another fertile area for questions with a point on them would be public transport.

Perhaps Minister Joe Mizzi could be asked to give us chapter and verse about the number of times he rode a bus: once for sure, because he was impressed by the female driver. Was he impressed by the fact that a woman was driving at all, that she was driving well, that she was a babe, what?

Pray tell, Mr Mizzi.

The media could also ask him, while they’re about it, to explain in greater detail what he meant when he said that it was a good thing that a Maltese management team would be taking over “to reflect the Maltese mentality”.

imbocca@gmail.com

www.timesofmalta.com/articles/author/20