Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/981272
| SUNDAY • 13 MAY 2018 maltatoday 19 LETTERS & EDITORIAL NEWS that MaltaToday could face a potentially damaging and ruinous law- suit in the United Kingdom once again raises the fear of what financial elites are capable of doing when they have the power to seek malicious redress in foreign courts. Unfortunately, this newspaper is just one of many in Malta to have experi- enced the threat of the so called SLAPP since the election of the Labour govern- ment; a sign of the kind of disdain with which the press is treated here. Not only is there the worry that the public is losing trust in the media as an agent for accountability, but there is also the clear knowledge from those in power that the press is a soft target. In Malta especially, the economies of scale for newspapers can be even less forgiving: low revenues, low readership... what can such com- panies do against the ruinous damages obtainable in a London court? Clearly, something has to be done. That first step has to be the govern- ment's. If it really believes in safeguard- ing democracy, and the press is a funda- mental pillar of any liberal democracy, it must put itself forward and prevent the threats that enable the destruction of the free press. Previous reports that suggest the Prime Minister himself is not inimical to SLAPP threats taking out his press adversaries are a cause for concern. Is Joseph Muscat ready to safeguard his legacy? It seems he has done much for Maltese society in terms of civil liberties, social welfare, national infra- structure, and the economy: can't he make democracy and its improvement his crowning moment? Guaranteeing a secure future for the Maltese press can be one such way. Exploring financing models that can guarantee Maltese journalism's future is another. Ensuring the right legal safe- guards for the press against the threats of damaging forum-shopping is all the more necessary now. Having worked in business develop- ment in various European newspapers, I can only say how urgent this appeal is. Hugh Phillips Kent, United Kingdom IN MAY, most Gozitan students start shifting back to Gozo. Most of them have to pay for the entire month, de- spite them not living there for most of it. Many fear a phone call from the landlord, informing them about the raise in rent which would come into effect the following year. This is when more issues arise. The influx of new students would already be making the problem worse. Add older students to the mix and the issue becomes chaotic. In the past few days, one such student argued that they are living in apartment blocks which resemble the slums of Rio de Janeiro. This post rallied behind her an army of commentators, whose anger was aggravated by the fact that two out of three ferries were being repaired, leaving most of them on the wrong side of the Channel. This group spoke about both issues in the past and we keep emphasising the need for better regulation on rent, espe- cially when students are involved. Sadly, the €500 every trimester is not enough, however, there are fears that if they raise the subsidy, they keep raising the already high rents. We once again appeal to the authorities in charge to see us not simply as a group of whin- ing children, but as a group of students, who have to take on a role beyond our years. Nicole Debrincat Gozo University Group Clarification: Maltese academics IT was reported on Sunday that Uni- versity of Malta lecturer Adrian Grima was advocating a position on "voca- tional Maltese", when this was collec- tively the position of the l-Akkademja tal-Malti, the departments of Maltese at the Junior College and University of Malta and the Institute of Linguistics, l-Ghaqda tal-Malti, and the societies of Maltese poets and Maltese proof- readers. Support for MaltaToday in face of legal threats Rental problems for Gozitan students Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications