According to Eurostat, in 2022 the number of writers and journalists in Europe according to Eurostat stood at around 891,600 people. The number went down by 2.5% in 2023 to 868,700. This is also a category as defined by the EU’s system of NACE categories which is very encompassing so the real figure is actually much lower.
A statistic which clearly shows the decline in the free press is the European Commission’s European Media Industry Outlook, which reports that employment in the media industry in Europe fell by 27.8% between 2008 and 2020.
Founding and building The Maltese Herald is an extremely contrarian undertaking in today’s commercial environment in Europe. In addition, to already challenging commercial conditions we face a very hostile environment in Malta with systematic uncompetitive market measures and also crippled SLAPP action.
In today’s world, the role of independent press outlets such as The Maltese Herald is more important than ever. At a time when the flow of information is increasingly subject to state influence and political pressure, including from governments hostile to the principles of free speech and press freedom, independent journalism must remain a firm and uncompromising safeguard of these fundamental principles. As the sole owner of The Maltese Herald, I retain the independence necessary to uphold our editorial integrity and ensure that our journalism is not dictated by political interests or external pressure.
We have raked up to 250 subscribers in our ongoing campaign but we need at least ten times the amount to make the press outlet commercially viable. We encourage our readers to subscribe here for just €15 per year.
In addition we still remain without substantial funding which we are seeking via credit. You can contact me here if you can support us mark@darcamilleri.com. Donations can also be made to our Paypal on the same email address
Website Editor
Historian and Publisher
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