Editorial: No Times to look away

In 2017, Donald Trump stood on a podium and declared: “The fake news media is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American people.”

It was a statement which captured the deepening distrust between political power and the media. Yet, in many ways, this hostility is not new. Throughout history, authoritarian leaders, populist movements and vested interests have sought to discredit independent journalism precisely because they know its value.

Today, the threat comes not only from politicians but from powerful tech platforms, echo chambers and a global disinformation ecosystem which has coined absurd terms such as ‘alternative facts’. In such a bizarre climate, independent journalism matters more than ever.

Ninety years ago today, Times of Malta published its first edition, just four years before World War II, but our lead story that day already reflected a world in turmoil. Since then, Times of Malta has chronicled every major moment in our nation’s life – war, independence, scandal, transformation, tragedy and triumph.

We continue being proud in saying that we never missed an edition: not when Valletta was bombed in World War II, nor when political arsonists torched our building in 1979 and most recently when COVID-19 emptied our offices and decimated our revenue.

Our duty – to inform, investigate and serve the public good – has guided us through crises both external and internal. Over the years, we witnessed and reported the transformation of Malta itself. We chronicled the monumental chapters of the 20th century – from war to Malta’s independence and then through the 21st century – from the September 11 attacks to EU membership to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

We covered migrant boat tragedies in the Mediterranean and investigated high-level corruption. We see journalism as a platform for the common good and this is why we persist in focusing on human stories, the ones that have power to change people’s lives. And this is why we pay tribute to the many hard-working workers who chiselled Times of Malta for what it is today: resilient and relevant.

Today, Times of Malta is reaching more readers than ever in its history. Our website is visited daily by almost one in four people on the island. We’ve trained a new generation of journalists to ask harder questions and dig deeper, built an investigative team, launched a fact-checking service and embraced podcasting and video.

The first edition of Times of Malta, published on August 7, 1935.

Like every news organisation, we’ve faced challenges: declining print circulation, economic pressure, and, yes, sometimes, even internal soul-searching. We’ve stood firm amid attempts to undermine our independence, even from within.

These moments tested us but we never compromised transparency and integrity.

And this is why when something important happens – or needs to be said – people still turn to Times of Malta. Even our fiercest detractors know that to be heard they must engage with us.

The next 10 years will, however, be critical. Can independent journalism thrive in a world where sensationalism trumps facts, where artificial intelligence rewrites the rules of the game for a world with dwindling attention spans, a world exhausted with (dis)information?

Big media organisations around the world will continue to suffer, many will shut down, which is why news organisations need to reinvent themselves, build on their legacy, while trying out new ways of telling the story, if they are to survive.

We also rely on many of our readers who can see through the rhetoric of powerful people who label facts as “fake” and appreciate the role of a press that holds power to account.

Our mission remains as clear today as it was in 1935: to keep seeking the truth. To all those who read us, support us and challenge us – thank you.