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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2014 35 THIS WEEK Is the media too free or not enough? Sicilian publishers come out in full force for National Book Festival Restoration workshop at Our Lady of Victory Church THE debate on whether the media is independent, balanced or even- handed, will be tackled this week in the Battle of Ideas being organ- ised by the UK Institute of Ideas in collaboration with the University of Malta. Many feel that for the media to be trustworthy it must be independ- ent of private and political inter- ests. But is this a realistic target to aim at? And is it desirable? The contentious issue of media ownership is said to challenge the very principles of press freedom. Whether it is the Berlusconi or the Murdoch media empires, or the more unusual tradition of media ownership by political parties as in Malta, there are frequent com- plaints that the media is not as in- dependent as it should be or as we need it to be for a healthy democ- racy or vibrant public debate. While it is accepted that print journalism is often openly parti- san, public-service traditions de- mand balance. But how far must broadcasters go to demonstrate an even-handed approach? Must every opinion be carefully balanced with an opposing voice? Does such an approach not spell the end for edi- torial judgment? All sides lay claim to the notion of the fourth estate's services to de- mocracy and truth seeking. Public interest is defended by regulators and libertarians alike. But who decides what constitutes public interest? Are we right to demand independence even if it is possible to achieve? Why assume that it is impossible to challenge the domi- nance of the big networks with smaller media outlets? This is es- pecially true given that the internet revolution means that the barriers to effective and cheap communica- tion are so much lower than they were. Is there a sense in which the call for independence in the media is really a call to be protected from the sort of media that one does not like? Would it not be fairer to chal- lenge such media rather than limit their access to the airwaves? Or is it just naive to think that small in- dependent media voices can ever compete with the inf luence exerted by the large corporations? How can we make sense of the mass media today? Is politically slanted journalism just an honest acknowledgment that objectivity is impossible? Or should we go on be- lieving that the ideal of a search for truth is a worthy journalistic aim? Trying to answer these questions will be Claire Fox, director of the UK Institute of Ideas and panelist on BBC Radio 4's Moral Maze, col- umnists Fr Joe Borg, Mark-Antho- ny Falzon and Ranier Fsadni, to- gether with Malta Today journalist Raphael Vassallo. The debate will be chaired by Angus Kennedy, the author of the recently published Being Cultured: in defence of discrimination. The debate will held on November 6 at 19:00 at the Valletta Campus, Old University Building, Valletta. The general public is cordially invited to attend and take part. Entrance is free. Booking on iana. viacava@um.edu.mt is recom- mended Claire Fox THE National Book Council will be hosting some of Sicily's most promi- nent publishing houses at this year's edition of Malta's National Book Festival, from November 12 until November 16 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta. This year's edition promises a jam-packed programme of events happening throughout the five days in different areas of the MCC and culminating in the weekend. For the first time in many years, thanks to the help of the Italian Cultural In- stitute and Sicillian publisher Carlo Morrone, this year's Book Festival will be marked with a contingent of 11 Sicilian publishers. The pub- lishers are Aulino Editore, Bonfir- raro Editore, Emmanuele Romeo Editore and Verbavolant Edizioni. Books by all of these publishers will be available for sale at the Book Festival from the Siclian Publishers' Stand. Some of these publishers will also be holding events in the Common Area of the Festival, in order to present and promote their books and respective authors. Amongst the publishers holding events will be Morrone Editore, Aulino Edi- tore, Bonfirrarro Editore and Ed- izioni Epsil. It is important to note that this is not the first Sicilian connection for the local book scene. Arnold Casso- la, a professor of Maltese and com- parative literature at the University of Malta, has recently co-authored a book with Silvio Aliffi which was published by the same Morrone Ed- itore. The book, 'Malta-Pachino – il Ritorno alle Origini' speaks about the Pachino and Maltese connec- tion, and will be presented to the general public on Friday at 18:00 in the Common Area. Following this event one may attend the book presentation of professor Luigi Am- ato on the philosopher Giuseppe Rovella. On Saturday evening, events by Sicillian publishers in the Common Area are set to start at 19:00 with a presentation of Geatano Amoruso's book, 'Anche il Sole Tramonta' fol- lowed by another book presentation of Matteo Bonadies', 'Filippo di Agi- ra' – both books published by Bon- firraro Editore. At 20:00, Morrone Editore will then present the book by Lorenzo Genovoese, 'Il Latru ri Ficupali (Il Ladro di Fichidindia)' and following that, another book presentation of Vincenzo Perez's '10 Mila Volte' published by Edizioni Epsil and 'Viaggio in Sicilia' of Paul de Musset published by Edizioni Lussografica. On Sunday, events by the Italian publishers in the Common Area start early. At 10:00 a book pres- entation of Antonino Audino's 'Gli Occhi nelle Onde del Mare" pub- lished by Edizioni Epsil is to take place just before another presenta- tion at 10:30 of Angelo Migliore's 'Come Nasce una Mafia' published by Morrone Editore. At 11:30am, Giancarlo Bellina's 'L'Albero del Milicuccu' published by Morrone Editore and at noon Simone de Vivo's book 'Amore de Matrioska – La Luna di Giorno' published by Edizioni Epsil will be presented followed then by 'Il Testamento di Vanto' by Michele Barbera, pub- lished by Aulino Editore at 17:00. Closing the series of Siclian book presentations will be Morrone Edi- tore with Pippo Bufardeci's 'Airport Pachino' and Leonardo Salvaggio's 'Sicilia Quell'Estate del '43'. THE Din l-Art Ħelwa Youth Com- mittee is organising a Restoration Workshop at Our Lady of Victory Church, Valletta on November 15, 10:00 to 16:00 and Sunday No- vember 16 from 11:00 to 16:00 with the support of the Ministry of Education and Evarist Bartolo, Minister of Education. Conducting Conservators Amy Sciberras and Sarah Yeomans Gafa will demonstrate the various steps of conservation of paintings, including preliminary scientific analysis. Through the use of post- ers, on site non-invasive analysis and hands-on work on a number of old paintings, the general pub- lic and students will be introduced to the scientific research involved in the field of restoration. Schoolchildren from age 6 to 16 are invited to attend together with their parents and persons inter- ested in conservation/restoration of paintings as well as members of the general public are welcome. Attendance is free of charge but donations to Din l-Art Ħelwa's Victory Church project will be ap- preciated. www.gourmettoday.recipes