Puli: Broadcasting Authority unable to fulfill its mandate because of leadership 'incompetence'

Clyde Puli, the Opposition’s spokesman on matters relating to the media has said that the Broadcasting Authority is not able to fulfil its mandate because of “incompetence in its leadership.”

“We must find a serious way in which the we can choose how the authority is run for it to be credible, serious and impartial,” Puli said. 

Moreover, he said that the "the law as it is today, is not allowing it to carry out its function," especially since there were several platforms, such as IPTV, that it has no control over. 

Puli was speaking during a meeting with representatives from the Institute of Maltese Journalists regarding the proposed new Media and Defamation Act. 

He said the current debate surrounding the newly proposed Media and Defamation Bill will “ultimately define our democracy for years to come.”

“We believe in the fourth estate and that journalism has an important role to play in any modern democracy,” Puli said.

For this reason, he said that the Nationalist Party (PN) would like to discuss regulation and responsibility in the media, without stifling freedom of expression. “We must find a balance that allows us to have a law that encourages journalists to seek the truth through facts, without preventing them from being able to do their work.”

Puli reiterated the PN’s pledge, repeal the law that has been proposed if it remains in its current format, adding that it would be replaced by a better law that retains the positive aspects introduced.

He said that the PN was against the regulation of public websites, despite government reassurances that this only refers to news portals.

“Irrespective of the government’s intentions, the law states any website,” Puli said.

Moreover, he stressed that it was not only the PN that was saying this, with a number of experts in the field, expressing similar views.

In addition to this, Puli said that the PN was against the proposed increase in fines. “The court rarely dishes out the maximum penalties, so there is not need that is pushing us in this direction. “All of this has happened because all this happened around a single case and not a principle,” Puli said.

Karl Wright, the president of the IGM, replying to Puli’s remarks, said that he did not wish for the law to be repealed because this would further delay needed reforms.

He pointed out that since the government is open to consultation regarding the proposed law, it would prefer find ways to include in the new law proposals put forward by journalists and other stakeholders.

He said that to be fair to the government, the IGM had found “an open door” when it pointed out that were several parts of the law that needed clarification.

“On registration of websites, the government said that this would only apply to news portals,” adding that the IGM was not necessarily accepting this, however it is choosing to gather more feedback before it puts forward its official position.

Wright said that the IGM feels that there should be “a structure” that would “beef up” the current system and that would be responsible for giving accreditation and overseeing the media.

He urged the Nationalist Party, as well as other journalists and stakeholders to put forward suggestions, which can then be discussed with the government in order to arrive at a clearer law.