This newspaper carried items concerning suggestions to political parties made by a think tank (May 26), a post by a hotelier about how people should vote (May 25) , a suggestion for cancer-related drugs made by the Chamber of Pharmacists (May 2), the pre-electoral proposals of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry (May 24) and an injunction by a human rights NGO to report to the police candidates who offer their constituents food hampers.

Yet, for some reason, it failed to report the publication of a social manifesto addressed to all political parties and signed by 101 individuals (the number was 99 when the manifesto was forwarded to members of the newsroom) coming from different backgrounds, including different political backgrounds.

I find it hard to believe that this newspaper failed to find any news value in the manifesto given both the contents and the signatories.

Obviously, this newspaper has a right to publish what it deems fit for publication but I do hope the manifesto was not ignored because of its socially-progressive contents. Legally, it would not amount to censorship. In spirit, though…

Anyone wanting to read the dreaded manifesto and criticise or engage dialogically with it can look it up on Facebook (Manifest Soċjali).

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