The media played an essential role in society and it should not be hindered in its work, President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said on Sunday.

Speaking on the fourth anniversary of her appointment to the presidency, she said that while she believed that the media was the fourth pillar of democracy, it should always be educational and informative.

In a situation where social media was being used to disseminate false news, the media should be allowed to do its work to spread the truth impartially and without prejudice, she said.

The President celebrated her anniversary by paying tribute to her late predecessors, placing flowers at the foot of their monuments.

She appealed to political parties to work on a Constitutional reform following upon their electoral promises and what they had long been speaking about.

“We have to move from words to facts, and from promises to implementation,” she said. The people, she added, should be encouraged to get involved in the process which should be public, transparent and educational.

The President said that in her final year she would look ahead to consolidate several projects that were currently underway including the restoration of the President’s office, the President’s Foundation for the Welfare of Society, the President’s Trust and the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation.