LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A new report on media freedom across the European Union has placed Malta under the spotlight, highlighting serious concerns over political interference, lack of transparency, and government hostility toward journalists.
The findings come from the 2025 Media Freedom Report released by the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties), which warns that media freedom is crumbling across the EU—eroding one of the bloc’s essential defenses against authoritarianism. The annual report, compiled in collaboration with 43 human rights organisations from 21 EU member states—including Malta’s Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation—paints a troubling picture of the media landscape across Europe.
In Malta, the situation is marked by stagnation and regression, with media pluralism and independence increasingly under threat. While the report does not rank countries, existing data provides context: Malta ranked 73rd globally and second-worst among EU countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 Press Freedom Index.
The report criticises the direct ownership of major media outlets by Malta’s political parties, which remain exempt from impartiality regulations enforced by the Broadcasting Authority. This, combined with a lack of ownership transparency, distorts the media landscape and undermines public trust. Government advertising practices have also come under fire.
The report reveals that state advertising is disproportionately allocated to media houses that portray the government in a favourable light—including those owned by the ruling Labour Party. Furthermore, Malta’s public broadcaster is described as biased, with its editorial line shaped by government influence.
Despite the approaching August deadline for EU member states to implement the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), Malta has made little progress. The EMFA aims to prevent political interference, ensure editorial independence, and introduce transparency requirements—areas in which Malta is currently falling short.
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS)
