I have just sent this letter to Kurt Sansone, the Institute of Maltese Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists. It is self-explanatory, but what I would like to say here, is that people in Malta have a habit of justifying their actions because they were “simply doing their job”. It is also fair to say by now that MaltaToday is acting like a parasite in the local press industry as it grows at the expense of actual independent and investigative journalism in Malta.
Kurt Sansone, MaltaToday Editor and Secretary General of the Institute of Maltese Journalists
President of the Institute of Maltese Journalists, Matthew Xuereb
European Federation of Journalists
International Federation of Journalists
I write you about an article you have published as Chief Editor of MaltaToday and penned by the owner of the said newspaper, Saviour Balzan. I have also replied to your published article here.
As an independent journalist who is fully self-financed, I am at the receiving end of many attacks by the government, its allies, the Labour Party and the Prime Minister. Twice in a row, the Prime Minister called me “cruel” once in the Times of Malta and the second time when in an interview with Saviour Balzan. As a believer in freedom of speech, I understand and accept that I will be criticised and insulted.
However, I have a serious problem with the article that you published because its author, who is also the owner of the newspaper in which the article was published, is explicitly declaring “war” against me, tries to dox me by attempting to reveal my location, and even calls me a “literary-terrorist”.
The article is libellous and defamatory and is full of lies and my lawyers will soon contact you to address such related issues. However, the problem with this article is not that it is just defamatory, it is also an incendiary attack against an independent and investigative journalist. I also confirm that such an article is also a direct attempt and an invitation for further attacks against me, especially since it has been published in the backdrop of other attacks by the Prime Minister himself.
Investigative journalism in Malta is dangerous and independent journalists like myself have no backer, entity or institution that backs them.
Given that you are the Secretary-General of the Institute of Maltese Journalists, I do not believe that you deserve this responsibility and honour while you publish incendiary attacks on other journalists.
Therefore, I am asking you to resign from your role as Secretary-General of the Institute of Maltese Journalists with immediate effect.
Regards
Mark Camilleri
www.markcamilleri.org
Website Editor
Historian and Publisher
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