Updated 5.16 pm with reactions
Justice Minister Jonathan Attard has slammed an “unacceptable” threat made by Steward Health Care International to an independent media editor.
The healthcare operator, which runs three state hospitals, said earlier on Wednesday that it had asked the government to “investigate” Malta Today executive editor Matthew Vella, after he reported on the company’s opaque ownership structure.
SHCI claimed that Vella was colluding with a financial investigation firm that bets against stocks, in an attempt to drive down the share price of its parent company.
Vella, who has written extensively about the company and its ownership structure, has categorically denied the accusation and accused SHCI of trying to bully him into submission.
Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said he was unequivocal about the issue.
“It is unacceptable for a journalist to be threatened with being reported to the government for investigation,” he said, adding that it was “not government’s job to investigate any journalist.”
The minister said that the government was not aware of any letter sent by SHCI requesting any such investigation but that, in any case, “this situation is a non-starter”.
SHCI’s move drew condemnation from multiple sources.
The Institute of Maltese Journalists said the company’s demands constituted a “direct threat against the Maltese press”.
“Reporting factually does not constitute a smear campaign,” the IĠM said as it urged all other journalists to call out any entities making similar threats.
Rule of law NGO Repubblika also slammed the company’s “bullying”.
"It is unacceptable that a company receiving millions from Maltese taxpayers asks the government to investigate a journalist doing his job by defending Maltese interests," it said. "We expect the Maltese government to adopt a clear position with Steward International and condemn this request."
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola also expressed solidarity with Vella and said that more must be done to protect journalists form threats and attacks.
"Intimidating a journalist is unacceptable in a democratic country. We have a duty - both on a national and European level - to double our efforts in strengthening media freedom and make it impossible for those rich and powerful to kill journalists’ stories through SLAPP cases," she said in a Facebook post.
The Daphne Foundation has also flagged SHCI’s threat to the EU-wide Media Freedom Rapid Response, which tracks and monitors threats made against journalists and media entities across Europe.
News of SHCI’s threat broke on the same day that the IĠM held a national consultation conference to discuss proposals to reform Malta’s media laws.
The consultation was held after an initial attempt by the government to pass revised media laws drew protests from various quarters, due to a failure to initially consult with the sector.
Prime Minister Robert Abela had subsequently frozen the process of debating those bills in parliament, pending further discussion.
The government has however argued that its proposals seek to ensure the best possible protection for journalists – a point minister Attard reiterated on Wednesday.