Disclaimer. I would never uncover or reveal the sources of journalists or my colleagues. However, MaltaToday once tried to reveal my source of NuxellinaLeaks by claiming that that they were leaked by Jason Azzopardi (this is false and a libellous smear). I find it only fair with my FAFO policy to apply the same methods that bullies try to apply on myself and my business. MaltaToday is a fully government-funded pro-Labour Party and government newspaper and many auditors and accountants familiar with their business can attest to this. This story is also of national importance. My media and publishing business is a struggling, yet growing startup that is not funded by either private or public sources. I fund myself.
Some of my friends genuinely had questions on how and why MaltaToday leaked the Vitals and Steward Magisterial inquiry. I did not know there are still genuine questions about it, so I will provide them.
First of all, MaltaToday recieved the Magisterial Inquiry by the Office of the Prime Minister. This is fact I know from various deep inside sources and it is not speculation. Saviour Balzan is paid to do PR services for the OPM and Robert Abela and both are in regular contact with each other. This doesn’t mean that Robert Abela sent an email to MaltaToday or Saviour Balzan with the inquiry. MaltaToday has various contacts with OPM personnel and other Labour Party functionaries who act as intermediaries. Files and data are passed through these intermediaries.
What interest would Robert Abela have to leak the inquiry? And why to MaltaToday?
First of all, one has to depart from the fact that Robert Abela and Joseph Muscat are at each other’s throats. Robert Abela is defending Joseph Muscat in public because he believes that it is in his and his Party’s interest to do so. This is a gross error of judgement but that is how he genuinely thinks.
As a pro-government propganada unit, MaltaToday barely publishes any investigative stories and serves as a subtle mouthpiece to the government. Handing over the Magisterial Inquiry to MaltaToday will give the impression that MaltaToday is a legitimate and independent media organisation – it is not.
This is what in business we call a “rug-pull”. The Magisterial Inquiry would have been published anyway. So it is in Robert Abela’s interest to hand over the Magisterial Inquiry to MaltaToday to give them a boost at the expense of all the independent press.
People will say that it doesn’t matter how it is leaked and by whom, and they are right, however from the perspective of all of people like me who are not funded by the government and are trying to build a media business, this is blatant uncompoetitive and deceptive behaviour.
Ever since 2021 when I started this business, I have turned up for work here on this website, every single day, holidays included, without fail. Since then I have published more investigative stories than MaltaToday did in many more years. Without the resources that MaltaToday has, my team and I have achieved 100 times more. We will keep doing so. MaltaToday will cease to exist as soon as there is a free market in the media and publishing industry in Malta. As soon as the government funds dry up, it will close down effectively.We are reslient, independent and anti-fragile and we don’t need the government to survive.
Yesterday, Judge Toni Abela also confirmed in Court that Robert Abela leaked the Inquiry to MaltaToday.
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Historian and Publisher
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