Each time I watch a complete edition of Xarabank, I come away with a sour taste in my mouth and a bitter feeling in my stomach.

The three programmes I have watched so far (the other two were the ones about the inexistent cruise ship and the fishing boat disaster) enhance my notion that people watch Xarabank because people watch Xarabank.

The televoting question for the programme a week last Friday asked Fl-iskejjel għandhom jiġu mgħallma r-reliġjonijiet kollha? (Do you agree that all religions are to be taught in schools?)

The discussion panels were made up of several permutations of Catholics, Christians, Muslims, converts/apostate and one lone atheist. No Jews, Hindus, or Buddhists, although the first two religions have sizeable communities here. The title of the programme, Religions in Malta, was a misnomer.

The bumph for the programme had a woman saying that within Islam, men and women are equal since both are liable to stoning for cheating upon their married partner. I was kept waiting for mention of the rules (different for men and for women).

Most of the programme was a round-robin discussion about whether or not Sharia demands a person be killed (‘joħroġulu demmu’) for apostasy. There is an ocean of difference between the five pillars of Islam, as stipulated in the Koran, and Sharia rules.

There was not one word about how certain circles interpret the Koran according to their own agendas; schoolgirls being shot for fleeing a burning school without covering their heads; girls killed after being raped; women who manage to escape the stoning pit being shot, and so on. Not all Muslims agree with these intolerant judgments.

We dismiss the powerful worldwide church of God as ‘just’ a sect; Pastafarians who believe in His Noodliness the Flying Spaghetti Monster are ‘cranks’. But Islam is a religion. There is deliberate extremist misinterpretation of the Koran.

The word fatwa (legal opinion) was not referred to once, much less the fact that sometimes scholars come to different conclusions regarding the same issue.

As an aside, I think it was pathetic to see people wrangling about the gifts they were given, wanting different, and perhaps more expensive, appliances. It bothered me that the director saw it fit to direct the cameraperson to shoot Ninu trying to quieten a particularly petulant member of the audience by shaking his arm at her.

Evarist Bartolo has been landed with the onerous job of getting One News in all its incarnations back on its feet again. He graciously agreed to reply to a few questions.

Why was it felt they had to rope him in again? “Presumably they know that while I love being a policy-maker, parliamentarian and university lecturer in communications, most of all I love being hands-on in journalism and they feel I can make things happen to lead a newsroom that can provide one of the best news services in the country.”

Will he be headhunting anyone? Specifically Nationalists? “So far, I have not felt the need to headhunt anybody. I can work very well together with the existing newsroom staff and inspire them to express their potential and talents to the full.”

Why is the help of apolitical people refused? “I do not refuse the help of anybody. Indeed, I have sought and obtained feedback, criticism and suggestions from differentpersons.”

Who decides the priority/news value of items?

“I do, together with my newsroom staff. We hold meetings at the beginning and end of the day towards these ends.”

Will he be giving us more of the same, or remove the political slant of most items?

“You ought to be in a position to judge for yourself that One News is being built into a national, lively, reliable news service, catering for people of different political opinions. People’s concerns help shape our news agenda. We have an editorial perspective like every other news organisation on this planet, yet I will not allow this perspective to be a narrow, partisan one.”

Does he believe in preaching to the choir, in order to maintainposition in surveys?

“Definitely not. Former journalist Reuben Sciberras has an interesting thesis about One News and Net News; if run on partisan lines they do not even manage to preach to the converted. It makes sense to be broadcasters and not narrow-casters, trying to reach as many people as possible... not merely Labour Party members and supporters.

“If political party stations behave like the football teams channels, engaging only their supporters, they end up having a core of dedicated supporters without connecting with the rest of the people, especially the young who are turning in large numbers to overseas channels.”

Weren’t Jason Micallef and Kurt Farrugia up to the job? “They are already doing a great job in their respective roles. Neither of them wanted to become head of news.”

Will there be a reorganisation/creating of strategic positions (corruption watch, law reporter, and so on) for specific issues?

“Ours being a small newsroom, we don’t have the luxury of specialised reporters; but different reporters have their favourite beats, and I will do all I can to get the best out of each and every one of them. We are setting high standards, active in looking for news stories, verifying well before running a story and moving away from being just a carrier of press releases.”

television@timesofmalta.com