Taking censorship to the extreme?
In a bizarre turn of events, a prominent member of the Maltese Government has forced the Times of Malta to withdraw an interview with Malta's Film Commissioner that was due for publication today. Minister Austin Gatt, who has a portfolio covering investments, industry and technology, forcefully intervened to ensure that an interview with Film Commissioner Oliver Mallia remains unpublished. Austin Gatt had suggested that he should have been the one interviewed by the Times since he is the person ultimately responsible for policy in the sector. The Malta Film Commission is responsible for promoting and developing Malta's film industry. The editor of the Times today publishes an email exchange with a ministry representative that throws alarming light on the government's approach to media freedom. The ministry stated that the film commissioner "is appointed and removed by the minister" and that "the whole essence of the matter is the importance that questions are put to the right people and answered by the right people". From today's Times:
An interview with Film Commissioner Oliver Mallia, which was scheduled to appear on The Times today, will not be published following the intervention of the Ministry of IT and Public Investments, under whose wing the Film Commission falls. A journalist of The Times asked Mr Mallia for an interview some weeks back and this was eventually held. An advance copy of the write-up was submitted to Mr Mallia on Wednesday and he informed the journalist he would in turn pass a copy over to the ministry. Subsequently, a ministry official contacted the journalist and, among other things, offered her an interview with the minister, an offer the journalist did not deem appropriate and which she therefore politely refused. The official also asked the journalist to meet him but again she refused saying she would report the matter to the editor of The Times...Films made in Malta
In the meantime, the journalist who had conducted the interview received an e-mail from Mr Mallia saying: "I regret to inform you that I did not attain the necessary approval from the ministry for (the interview's) publication. "Kindly refer any questions regarding the Malta Film Commission to the Ministry for Investment, Industry and Information Technology. Apologies for any inconvenience caused." In the circumstances, the editor sent an e-mail to Claudio Grech, head of the minister's secretariat, saying: "The Times has just been informed that an interview it conducted with the Film Commissioner and scheduled for publication this coming Monday cannot be carried as he 'did not attain the necessary approval from the ministry for its publication'...
The Times editor then made the following point: "Once again thank you for your replies. But I do have something else to ask, in order to avoid misunderstandings. "1) Do your guidelines make it compulsory on all staff, from top to bottom, falling under the ministry to seek the ministry's approval prior to speaking to the press? "2) You say the press is free to speak to whoever it wishes. We decided to speak to the Film Commissioner. So why did the ministry insist the interview should not appear? "3) You also say that 'The ministry is neither objecting to parts nor to all of the interview', so why is the ministry objecting that it is published? If it is a matter of violating internal rules and regulations, don't you think that is a matter of internal affairs and should be treated as such?"...
posted by Robert Micallef at 8/15/2005 01:10:00 PM
I'm not sure censorship is the right term to use to describe this issue. While you can argue that is is a form of censorship, I would certainly not call it extreme censorship.
Do you see what I mean?
Was'nt the film commissioner censored by the ministry? It was not just a case of parts of the interview being censored ( the ministry was forwarded an advance copy of the interview ). The minister objected to the whole interview being published and forbid Mr Mallia from speaking to the press. I would say that it is quite extreme behaviour and does not correspond to an open society. Have you heard of something like this happening anywhere else in the civilized world?
The interview was already conducted and in my view the Times could have gone ahead with publication. In my opinion, the Times acted in a very prudent manner.
Yes, Mr. Micallef, The Film Commissioner Oliver Mallia, has been censored from replying to questions fronted by the media regarding policy, cause as Mr. Grech suggests, he is not the right person to reply correctly.
Let us not forget that the Media always turn to the Film Commission for replies, as the editor of The Times put it, yet due to these new implemenations by the Ministry, Mr. Dalli feels that he should be answering for them.
Why is Toni Sant, so safely distant from the petty politics of these Islands, so apologetic towards Austin Gatt's vicious act of censorship? Censorship it certainly was and yet another confirmation of this Government's arrogance as it counts the days to its downfall. Perhaps Toni Sant would rather see it survive in all its bile?
A sarcastic note in response to the rhetorical question posed in the anonymous comment addressed to me: there's nothing I'd like more than to see censorship "survive in all its bile."
To Anonymous: why not reveal your name?
Thank goodness that I'm "safely distant from the petty politics of these Islands" - as if I have the time to make apologies for Maltese politicians.
Sarcasm is good camouflage. It matches my own anonymous option. The fact remains that TS is always quick on the trigger when the Nats are under fire. I wonder what the connection...or the underlying fear....is. Mysterious, no?
Yes, very mysterious! Especially since I've been in the media scene for almost 20 years and anyone who really cares to know about my political connections knows this well by now. Everybody in Malta who's interested in my my affinity for the media machines of the major political parties knows how chummy I am with the powers that be. Just in case you're too young/old to remember (or have been living under a rock since the mid-80s), here's my Maltese political affiliation in a word: none.
I think I should reiterate my original point, just to make sure I don't continue to be misunderstood: the media incident with The Times is horrible and quite messy. However, I would not call it extreme censorship. I'd just call it bad management. Perhaps my argument is relativist, but then again I never claimed to be anything but a relativist.
Extreme censorship usually involves someone going to jail, or disappearing in the middle of the night, or torture. These things have happened (even to bloggers!) and sadly continue to happen in places where extreme censorship is exercised. Thankfully not in Malta, of course.
As for my being "quick on the trigger" and other anonymous assertions about my political leanings, I'll let anyone who knows my work and public declations over a long period of time decide for themselves.
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