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NEWS 10 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 01 SEPTEMBER 2021 Press freedom watchdog raises concerns over disinformation campaign NICOLE MEILAK AFTER a week-long disinforma- tion campaign targeting Maltese media houses, the Europe-wide Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) has expressed serious concern over the attempts to discredit journalists and blog- gers. In a statement signed by four media partners – Article 19, Eu- ropean Centre for Press and Me- dia Freedom (ECPF), Interna- tional Press Institute (IPI), OBC Transeuropa (OBCT) – the organisations highlight a smear campaign against blogger Ma- nuel Delia and the several fake platforms used to impersonate local media portals. The MFRR's statement con- cludes with a message of solidar- ity with the journalists and ac- tivists targeted by the campaign, adding that the State must swift- ly investigate and prosecute any criminal acts committed. "Furthermore, we call on the Maltese authorities to take de- cisive action towards the imple- mentation of the public inquiry's recommendations concerning the protection of journalists, in- cluding those stemming from its identification of the State's fail- ure to protect reports and media workers before attacks escalate to physical violence." Civil society and media organi- sations will be holding a solidar- ity demonstration in Valletta on Tuesday night as a show of force against the disinformation cam- paign. So far, spoof versions have surfaced trying to impersonate Newsbook, Net News, Lovin Malta, Strada Rjali and One News. Before the spoof websites appeared, fake email threads were being circulated across me- dia houses impersonating Ma- nuel Delia, Jason Azzopardi and Bernard Grech. Delia is a former Nationalist Party candidate, while Jason Az- zopardi is Nationalist Party MP. Grech is the Opposition and Na- tionalist Party leader. Civil society and media houses unite in demonstration against cyber spoofs NICOLE MEILAK CIVIL society groups and sev- eral local media houses joined together for a demonstration against a disinformation cam- paign used to undermine prose- cutions in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case. The protest comes after a string of spoof websites and email threads were circulated in the media trying to impersonate activists and media houses. Blogger Manuel Delia, who was first to be impersonated by the cyber criminals, was also first to address the crowd at the protest. "This week I confessed that I was scared. But this week I also turned a new page," he said. Delia explained that while the murder of Daphne Caruana Gal- izia was intended to silence her, the opposite happened, with people continuing her stories and vocal anger against corrup- tion. "No one does this work because they will become rich off of it. No one, that is, except the few of us that are ready to be bought. Apart from those, no one does this work to love or be loved." He said that he appreciates the Prime Minister's recent con- demnation of the cyber spoofs, but added that his words must be followed by actions. "It must be us, the citizens, individuals, associattions, or- ganisations, journalists, writers, artists... we must be the ones to guard our rights." Louiselle Vassallo, an activist with pressure group #occupyjus- tice, stated that Tuesday's pro- test is a demonstration of soli- darity with those who have been targeted by the disinformation campaign over the past week. "These attacks certainly cost a lot of money. Corrupt money," she said. She demanded that a condem- nation of the campaign be made by every member of parliament, including a condemnation from the Broadcasting Authority. Representing PEN Malta, writ- er Immanuel Mifsud reminded colleagues and country leaders that freedom of expression is a sacrosanct right, "and you have a duty to protect it". "Remember that you were the ones who passed legislation to guarantee this right, and there- fore make sure it's not taken away by someone engaging in this cruel game of hide-and- seek." Last to speak was Repubblika's President Robert Aquilina, who was also targeted by the disinfor- mation campaign. "We are here because we want our people to be informed. To be well informed and be fully in- formed," he said. Aquilina added that the cyber campaign is unacceptable, and that Malta's experience with the murder of Daphne Caruana Gal- izia is an example of what these attacks could eventually lead to. "Our country needs journalists to tell it the truth as a whole, as beautiful as it is and as ugly as it is. Our country needs activists, people not necessarily involved with political parties, who pro- voke discussion on various is- sues in the country, including and especially uncomfortable issues of power." He continued by saying that campaigns of this kind are an act of violence against journal- ists and free activists, and pose a greater threat to democracy and the right to information. "We do not want our country to have more victims like Daph- ne." Robert Aquilina

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