Ma teżisti l-ebda direzzjoni għal dak li hu leġittimu li jagħmlu l-ġurnalisti u dak li mhux – Alfred Sant

L-eks Prim Ministru Alfred Sant esprima l-appoġġ tiegħu għar-rapport kontra Kawżi Strateġiċi Kontra l-Parteċipazzjoni Pubblika (SLAPPs). Huwa faħħar l-inizjattiva kontra s-SLAPP u ddeskriviha bħala “pass tajjeb ‘il quddiem fil-protezzjoni tal-ġurnalisti minn azzjoni legali abbużiva bejn il-fruntieri maħsuba biex tbeżżahom milli jwettqu l-ħidma investigattiva tagħhom.”

Madanakollu, sostna li r-rapport ma jipprovdix evalwazzjoni ċara u aġġornata tal-kuntest ġurnalistiku li tieħu inkonsiderazzjoni r-rabtiet bejn id-djar tal-midja u ċ-ċentri tal-elit u l-poter.

Sant ammetta li minkejja li bħalissa hemm ġurnalisti kompetenti daqs Woodward u Bernstein, żewġ ġurnalisti investigattivi anzjani Amerikani famużi marbuta mal-iskandlu Watergate fl-Istati Uniti, il-Ġurnaliżmu – jew dak li hu mlibbes ta’ ġurnaliżmu xorta jista’ jservi biex jipproġetta diżinformazzjoni u jimmanipula l-opinjoni. L-iskandlu Sebastian Kurz fl-Awstrija, sostna Sant, wera kif dan jista’ jiġri.

Il-plenarja kienet qed tiddiskuti u tivvota dwar rapport kontra Kawżi Strateġiċi Kontra l-Parteċipazzjoni Pubblika (SLAPPs) fejn l-MEPs talbu għal regoli ġodda tal-UE u pproponew sensiela ta’ miżuri biex inaqqsu l-azzjonijiet legali li huma maħsuba biex ibeżżgħu u jsikktu lill-ġurnalisti, l-NGOs u s-soċjetà ċivili f’Stati Membri Ewropej.             Ir-rapport ġie adottat b’444 vot favur, 48 kontra u 75 astensjoni.

Sant sostna li sal-lum ma teżisti l-ebda direzzjoni għall-ġurnalisti, lobbists, pubblikaturi u dawk li jikkampanjaw dwar kwistjonijiet differenti dwar x’azzjoni titqies bħala leġittima u dik li mhix. “Forsi bħala riżultat, aħna wkoll neqsin minn gwida dwar liema rimedju għandu jkun permess għal nies, gruppi jew interessi li ġenwinament iħossu li qed jiġu mmirati ħażin jew b’mod malizzjuż minn informazzjoni ħażina. F’dinja fejn il-manipulazzjoni massiva tal-kwistjonijiet m’għadiex taħt il-pussess esklussiv tas-sigurtà tal-istat, it-tali mistoqsija ma tistax tiġi injorata”, żied jgħid.

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There is no proper compass to what is legitimate for journalists to do and what is not – Alfred Sant

Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant has expressed his support to the anti-Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) report. He commended the anti-SLAPP initiative describing it as a “good step forward in the protection of journalists from abusive legal action across borders meant to chill their investigative work.”

However, he argued that the report does not provide a straightforward and uptodate evaluation of the journalistic context which takes inconsideration the links between media houses and centres of elite and power.

Sant admitted that even though currently there are journalists as competent as Woodward and Bernstein, two senior American investigative journalists famous from the Watergate scandal in the US, Journalism – or what is dressed up as journalism” can still serve to project misinfromation and manipulate opinion. The Sebastian Kurz scandal in Austria, Sant claimed, showed how this can happen.

The plenary was debating and voting on a report against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) whereby MEPs called for new EU rules and proposed a series of measures to lessen legal actions that are meant to frighten and silence journalists, NGOs and the civil society in European Member States. The report was adopted by 444 votes in favour, 48 against and 75 abstentions.

Sant stated that to date there is no proper compass on what action is considered as legitimate for journalists, lobbyists, publicists and issue campaigners and what is not. “Perhaps as a result, we also lack guidance on what redress should be allowable to people, groups or interests who genuinely feel that they are being wrongly or maliciously targeted by misinformation. In a world where the massive manipulation of issues is no longer a monopoly of state security apparata, such question cannot be ignored”, he added.