Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1011650
OPINION 26 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 AUGUST 2018 Comment is free, but facts are sacred Edward Zammit Lewis is a Labour MP Evarist Bartolo Evarist Bartolo is minister for education and employment Edward Zammit Lewis IN days gone by a newspaper journalist had all the time in the world to write an article. If you asked them, they'd tell you that deadlines were extremely tight. But compared to the reality of today their deadlines were plush and comfortable. Today as a press conference progresses, you can see the jour- nalist writing the article there and then. Often, it is uploaded before the press conference is even over. Two hands on the tablet and two ears on the press confer- ence, that world revolves around sound-bites and the juice of what was said. It doesn't involve analytical analysis or depth. It's just throw- ing content into the internet with the basics being right. This is the modern media and I do believe that it is distancing itself from the important fundamen- tals and values that governed the media for decades. CP Scott, the founder of what today is The Guardian news- paper in the UK, once said that facts are sacred, but comment is free. I wish that in this country we understood this better. Too many commentators write as if their opinion is fact, and too many journalists write as if their reporting is commentary. This distinction is crucial. If you're a journalist there has to be an unbiased viewpoint, at least in relation to the factual analysis of a story. This doesn't mean that journalists don't have a view- point or opinion. All journalists ought to. They should, if they choose to, pursue the facts and the focus of their story based on their beliefs or opinion, but ulti- mately facts should be treated as facts, and opinion as opinion. A recent speck of self-aware- ness came in Tim Diacono's article on Lovin' Malta, where he reassessed the environment that the Egrant saga had developed in and how it skewed the report- ing on that portal, and others. Other prominent media houses doubled-down on their call. Others who weren't sucked into the saga, such as this news- paper, called for reflection in the local media landscape. It was a sensible thing to do in my view. As a former journalist, and now a politician, I have lived on both sides of the divide. A news- paper, portal or any other re- spectable medium knows that it takes a long time to gain a repu- tation and win readership. But it also takes very little to destroy it. The role of the media is to join the dots, not create them. Often, the rationale is publish first and be damned with the aftermath. There isn't that lucid reasoning of facts that you would have had in the past. Everyone gets things wrong. Over the past few months the New York Times and CNN made some serious blunders, but the fact that they admitted they were wrong, or partly- wrong, is what enhanced their credibility. According to the Eurobarom- eter, the reputation of newspa- pers and online portals among the public in Malta is among Europe's lowest. The days fol- lowing the Egrant magisterial inquiry did little to improve that. But not all is lost. We need the media in this country because it strengthens our democracy and society. But at the same time the media must not fall into the same trap as politicians and divide itself into camps. It should remain focused, vociferous and impar- tial. Reason should be its guide, not toeing the line of one politi- cal grouping or another. This is especially important if you're one of the so-called 'independ- ent' media-houses. It should treat facts and opinion as two different beasts, far away from each other. If facts were indeed treated as sacred, we wouldn't be in this mess today. Delia, Busuttil and Aristotle THESE last months we heard and read from many within the PN camps pontificating about the concept of rule of law, yet many of them fail to understand at all its real mean- ing or simply apply their own definition (and abuse of) it at their own convenience and use; primarily Simon Busuttil and friends or the so-called 'PN es- tablishment' who are attempt- ing to gain political mileage, though failing miserably, while also tarnishing Malta's reputa- tion. Clearly, they have the least credentials to discuss about such an important concept within any democracy. The 'Rule of Law' is definitely not simply any buzz-phrase or a concept that was born recently. In the 4th century BC, the Greek Philosopher Aristotle had already stated that "It is more proper that law should govern than any of its citizens" ['Politics']. From there on, the concept of Rule of Law kept developing and evolving especially within Europe. Prob- ably the best definition for Rule of Law is that put forward by "World Justice Project", that is, a non-profit organisation com- mitted to advancing the rule of law around the world. For this NGO, the rule of law refers to a rule-based system in which the following four universal princi- ples are upheld: 1. The government and its officials and agents are accountable under the law; 2. The laws are clear, publicised, stable, fair, and protect fundamental rights; 3. The process by which the laws are enacted, admin- istered, and enforced is accessible, fair, and efficient; 4. Access to justice is provided by competent, independent, and ethical adjudicators, attorneys or representatives, and judicial officers who are of sufficient number and have adequate resources. Based on the above requisites and based on what has been done over the past years, we can safely state that Malta is clearly in line. Locally, Parlia- ment has been granted more autonomy under the current Administration, and also, with merit to the input of the Speaker Anglu Farrugia, under the Parliamentary Services Act. Parliament enacts legislation aligned with the Constitution and other International and Eu- ropean Treaties to which Malta is already a signatory. These are laws that apply to everyone. Our judiciary is distinct and totally independent from gov- ernmental and parliamentary structures – the same judiciary that, as clearly witnessed in the recent 'Egrant' case, is able to work very professionally, impartially and autonomously while being granted all the nec- essary and adequate resources to effectively do so. This case, together with other inquiries underway, clearly show that ab- solutely no one is above the law, and highlight the three district (the Executive, Judiciary and Parliament) pillars enshrined in our constitution and also a reflection of the supremacy of the Rule of Law. In this scenario one needs to highlight and reflect over the 'Delia-Busuttil' pact and its clear implications. Firstly, this confirms that Adrian Delia is the PN leader only on paper and not in practice and, secondly, that Simon Busut- til is the epitome of political arrogance. Simon Busuttil does not miss out on an occasion to try and pontificate on how one needs to respect a democratic process, and the usual rule of law lecture when he is the one who fails to recognise the fact that Adrian Delia is his party leader, albeit elected through an internal party voting process, and undermines him at every chance. We will definitely not take lessons from Simon Busut- til when he himself is unable to respect the will of the major- ity of his same party members in order to serve his, and his friends', personal agendas and political ambitions. Simon Busuttil cries foul on rule of law when a particular member of the judiciary is not up to his liking, while applying his usual measure of rule of law à la carte while he feels it is just to appeal to certain court deci- sions but then states that there is a threat to the democracy and rule of law when the PM Joseph Muscat exercises that same right. When in previous years Simon Busuttil was the recipient of direct orders and direct ap- pointments, at the time that was justified because he was 'competent' and it was a matter of 'meritocracy', while when exactly the same applies, but this time to PL leaning persons, then they are labelled as incompetent, incapable and what not, prob- ably children of a lesser god! The Delia-Busuttil pact is a se- rious concern for a healthy de- mocracy, where the Opposition should represent a constructive and credible Opposition, with one clear political direction, that can also effectively con- tribute to the continuous social and economic development of Malta and Gozo. Instead today's PN mantra is still nega- tive, and destructive political tactics that have already been given a resounding and un- equivocal 'thumbs down' by the electorate, are pushed forward by those who are still in control and choose to proceed on their vicious agenda that thankfully backfires towards them Until the Opposition manages to get its act together, it is only revealing more weaknesses that are clearly inherent within. Meanwhile the PL in Govern- ment is proud of all its various achievements, including the significant progress attained also in furthering the concept of the rule of law, to mention one example among many, through the enactment of the Whistleblower Act. We will continue working relentlessly for the good of all Maltese and Gozitans – and that is why I feel that together within the PL we can all make a difference in politics.