PN leadership contender Adrian Delia has proposed a detailed restructuring plan to make the party media financially viable within three years, as well as a media academy to source and train new recruits.
The proposals, form part of a broad overhaul the candidate says is necessary to allow the party to keep up with the Labour Party media machine and dictate the news agenda.
“The PN was the flag-bearer in opening up the media and political freedom of expression after the 1980s,” Dr Delia told this newspaper. “Today, it is clear we are lagging.”
For me, it is an absolute no-go for the PN to be induced or seduced to follow anyone else’s agenda
The list of proposals begins by ensuring that the PN media “finds its own voice” and “makes the news”, attracting others to report it.
This follows criticism during the last election that the party media allowed its agenda to be led too far by blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia, though Dr Delia would not be drawn on whether the proposal was a response to this criticism.
“For me, it is an absolute no-go for the PN to be induced or seduced to follow anyone else’s agenda,” he said.
“The party can listen, take concerns on board, but ultimately it is the PN that sets the agenda and the party media that reports it.”
Dr Delia said that while certain current “shortcomings” were understandable as the party went through a period of financial restructuring, it now urgently needed a timely plan to create standalone structures able to effectively pass on a message while remaining viable.
His proposals include investing in technology and infrastructure to compete with other media – primarily the “more successful” PL media – and new initiatives to attract investment in areas central to the PN’s message, while farming out other commercial areas. Central to this, he said, was understanding the potential of different media – radio, television, print and online – to reach different audiences, and how best to maximise that potential.
Further suggestions include the creation of a ‘media academy’ and an across-the-board restructuring to ensure new and current employees can “fulfil their potential to the maximum of their capabilities”.
Dr Delia added that the proposal document was one of several being prepared for different areas, built around the need to do things “in a new way”, and which he would be working in-depth to implement if elected.
Media strategy in brief
A team of media experts is drafting a strategic plan for each and every platform within the PN media.
Radio 101 needs a stronger identity to reach different tiers in different time slots.
Net TV needs stronger content and an array of popular talent to attract viewers and advertising in prime slots.
Newspapers are an important niche in the composition of the media bundle within the group. These will be sustained by a stronger subscription base.
Online is by far the most important of the platforms as it has the widest possible reach. The PN online media requires investment in research technology to enable it to grow and sustain itself while serving its original purpose.