The impact of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder was still being figured out in Malta, according to United States journalist Richard Lui.

Mr Lui, a news anchor for American television network MSNBC and NBC News, was recently in Malta to talk to youths on press freedom and journalism.

Speaking to the Times of Malta, Mr Lui said the number of students who had taken part in any action following Ms Caruana Galizia’s murder was lower than he expected.

Ms Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb on October 16.

“When I asked classes whether they held up a sign, or taken part in any action, there were not as many hands as I thought there would be,” he said.

We’re being pushed but we will not sink

“Will the younger generation still continue to build and defend Malta?” he asked.

Mr Lui said that he felt a responsibility to “fight harder and do a better job”, when he heard about the murder of Ms Caruana Galizia and the 46 journalists that were killed last year.

“When I look at all the faces of people that died in 2017, part of me says part of them was looking towards us in America as being one of the standard-bearers of press freedom,” Mr Lui said.

However, he insisted that journalists should not lose hope despite the threats and challenges facing them.

“I think we’re going through a short period – and I don’t know what short means – where we’re being pushed but we will not sink,” he said.

“The conversations I’ve had with those who work in the media show me that journalists are more energised, invigorated and understand the true service that journalism gives to democracy and free speech,” he said.

The MSNBC journalist also said that people needed to learn to navigate “the largess in content” that came about in the new digital era of consuming news.

“We, as users, are not conscientious enough in the consumption of content,” he said, warning against disinformation and misinformation.

As the increase in consumption of news had grown exponentially, a lot of non-journalistic organisations were coming forward, Mr Lui said.

“A challenge arises when misinformation and disinformation are associated with journalism,” he said, adding that journalists should constantly fight against both misinformation and disinformation.

Journalism was threatened when consumers were not conscious enough of what was real news or not, Mr Lui said.

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