Journalism is one of the most important pillars of our democracy, there is no denying it, as journalism is what guarantees that those who are supposed to live up to our democracy - those who are in power as are politician and influential individuals of our society - are held accountable for their actions. Politicians should accept and also respect that journalists are going to be critical of them when there is the need to do so, and that it is their (the politicians') responsibility to prove to the journalists that they are wrong about what they are saying about them. And, if politicians are unable to defend themselves against what is being said about them, about their honesty and integrity, then they ought to resign from their respective positions. There should be no doubt allowed about the integrity of politicians by those whose country it is their duty govern, nor should there be doubt on the integrity of those who are on the opposition benches in a liberal democracy, as doubt is what will subsequently bring a lack of trust of the political classes, which will not happen without repercussions to that same liberal democracy. Moreover, it also boils down to an issue of competence: imagine how competent politicians are at living up to the interests of their country and society, if they are unable to live up to their own interest in portraying their true selves as honest persons (i.e. if what is being said about them is not true). And, it goes without saying that people who lack honesty and integrity should not even be trusted on more trivial matters, never mind politics. Daphne Caruana Galizia had written in her blog allegations that are more than unflattering towards some politicians, corroborated by documents, that albeit inconclusive if some want to make them so, make the position of certain politicians untenable. The untenable nature of their positions still stands today even that Caruana Galizia is dead, and even if these politicians decide to withdraw their libel cases against her, possibly to cover up their own alleged wrongdoings. From allegations of brothels to money laundering to failed promises of credible audits, accountability runs very low in our country, too low for us to consider ourselves as a normal EU country. For this reason, one trusts that Daphne Caruana Galizia's family will continue to seek answers, by being exigent that all the libel cases by politicians on her are brought in front of the court as planned. They have already done so with a minister, and for we should all be grateful to them for that, as they continue the fight that Daphne Caruana Galizia had started.
Malta is a hostile country to independent and investigative journalism, and also to journalism that requires some kind of thinking or discernment, as people are more inclined to being impressed by what they hold at face value. For this reason, some kinds of radio programmes go down pretty well with the general public, especially if these are of a partisan nature, and require no discernment at all, as opinions are fed to them ready cooked in the form of what one may define as propaganda. Unfortunately, certain kinds of blogs or newspapers (including foreign newspapers) that require more thought and discernment are only read by the very few, and there are some who would read them, because of the allegations they make against the foe of the party that they support. These blogs and newspapers are read by some when they are endorsed by the politicians who they support, and are attacked if they are attacked by those same politicians, or others who they have come to support. It is easier for people to listen to a one sided attack on the party, politician, or journalist they disagree with and come to hate, than to adopt an attitude of true analysis of a situation. And, moreover, we are a country that is happy with sermons and dogmatic speeches on the radio stations, and frown upon free thought or speech, especially when this goes against our parochial and partisan attitudes. People adore politicians, as if they were statues in our parish churches - demigods of an infallible sort, who ought not be questioned, as it would sinful to do so. The same attitudes of scantily dress young women on the shoulders of men of a macho disposition in parish feasts, is seen in mass meetings of our political parties, as these consider politics as if what matters are the piques that lie deep in our culture. With this kind of attitude, and with an inability of some form of discernment, what we get is an attitude that says that the only important aspect to politics is to win, over and above what is best for our country and for the future generations, as it is good to celebrate in the way they do in their parish feasts, and the more satisfactory to spite one's own adversary. Our choice of a leader is based on whether our party will win or loose under his/her leadership, not on the principles that should guide our choices for a common good.
Some people find Caruana Galizia's pictures taken of random individuals at mass meetings or elsewhere, and her comments on the way that they were dressed and/or even behaved as unacceptable. Those who are critical, especially those on the left of our political spectrum, believe that this kind of journalism is prejudiced and brings class hatred into the equation. I am sure that that wasn't the intention of Caruana Galizia. Albeit there might be some truth in their criticism that it isn't right to invade one's own privacy, I can also see a failure on their part to understand what stood behind those pictures i.e. a critique of and against the parochial attitude ingrained in our culture - the macho culture of some men, and the submissiveness of certain kinds of women. She never limited her critique to class, as one may see from her commentary and photos of ministers, members of the opposition party, as well as businessmen/women. Caruana Galizia was critical of the same aspects in society that her own critics were also being critical of. The difference was in the way she did it.
We may see how some politicians do thrive on the attitudes that Caruana Galizia used to hate. The problem is that that kind of attitude is widespread and dominant in our culture, and that it is difficult for any journalist to promote a kind of position in society that goes against this ingrained culture. During the past decades, Caruana Galizia's blog was perceived as if it were a beckon of truth by people who supported the P.N, and was seen as the opposite by those who supported the P.L. Some of those in the P.L who were against what Caruana Galizia spewed hatred against her, calling her a witch, threatened her, and used all kinds of violent adjectives to describe her. Then came the leadership election of the P.N., and some in the party stopped supporting what Caruana Galizia had to say before the general election, and blamed her for the P.N.'s drubbing in the 3rd June general election. Rightly or wrongly, she was critical of Adrian Delia who then became party and opposition leader after winning the leadership election. At that point we began to witness the same kind of violent attacks on the social media by the supporters of Delia. The attacks were no different to the venom that spewed out of those on the other side of fence, it was the same kind of venom by different people belonging to the same culture of parochial ignorance.
