Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1351534
'Bernard Grech knows that Leone Ganado's comments are unintended consequences emanating from his attitude towards TVM journalists' 12 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 MARCH 2021 OPINION Carmelo Abela is Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister LAST Sunday, the Leader of the Opposi- tion was interviewed on NET Television and simultaneously livestreamed on Face- book Live. Following in the Prime Minister's foot- steps, the leader of the Opposition has started inviting journalists from various media houses to interview him on Sun- days – a positive sign indeed. And this time around, it was TVM Head of News Norma Saliba's turn to interview Bernard Grech. As I already stated, being interviewed by members of the press is positive both for the Prime Minister, as well as for the leader of the Opposition. What was not positive however was PN and Repubblika activist Godfrey Leone Ganado's misogy- nistic comment aimed at Television Mal- ta's Head of News. I can't say that I'm surprised at his misog- yny. Neither can I say that I'm surprised by his superiority complex. After all it is not the first time that these two qualities of his have manifested themselves out in the open. The problem, however, is that Leone Ganado has always felt safe stating what can only be described as stupidity. Leone Ganado has been in the news before when making such comments, but he has got away with it: time and time again. This time around, he also felt protected in- sulting Norma Saliba because she is both a woman as well as the Head of TVM's newsroom. For the sake of this newspa- per's readers, I won't repeat Leone Gana- do's disgusting comments here. But they were both elitist and chauvinistic. This feeling seems to capture the feelings and attitude of a large segment of the Oppo- sition vis-à-vis all of those who are objec- tive. That's what happens when people of influence, such as the leader of the Op- position, find it safe to attack journalists in public. Some weeks back, when being interviewed on TVM, Bernard Grech at- tacked journalist Glen Falzon multiple times. Falzon resisted Grech's attacks, and Grech knows this. Perhaps that is why he started slamming on the table multi- ple times: to try and intimidate him. But the cherry on top of the cake was when the Nationalist Party complained to the Broadcasting Authority about the way Glen Falzon acted as well in order to make their leader's unacceptable tirade seem somewhat legitimate. Just to think that a couple of years ago the Opposition was leading street protests because libels had been filed against its MPs! Seems as if we've come a long way since that day. It would also seem as if the Opposition is only in favour of free speech when jour- nalists don't question its dubious acts. The Opposition's modus operandi is clear in this regard: if a journalist tries to objec- tively question the Opposition's actions, then they are Labour-leaning and deserve to be attacked left, right and centre. And it is Grech's actions that indirect- ly led to last Sunday's attack. Sure, by no means did Bernard Grech agree with Godfrey Leone Ganado – and he rightly condemned his remarks. But he did this in order to save face. Bernard Grech knows that Leone Ganado's comments are un- intended consequences emanating from his attitude towards TVM journalists. The least thing one would expect, would be for Bernard Grech and the Nationalist Party to stop attacking journalists, if they are truly serious about freedom of speech. Now that Bernard Grech is in a position of responsibility, the first thing he should realize should be that his words and his actions can lead to collateral damage. In this case they did. Unintended consequences Carmelo Abela Opposition leader Bernard Grech being interviewed by TVM's Head of News, Norma Saliba